At the end of 2023, Google DeepMind unveiled a new artificial intelligence tool intended to assist in conflict resolution. In a surprising and bold move, the tool was named the “Habermas Machine”, invoking the name of Jürgen Habermas, the world-renowned German philosopher known for his theories of communicative rationality and discourse ethics.

Following an initiative by Matthias Pfeffer, our founder, who reached out to Habermas directly, it became clear that Habermas had no prior knowledge of the project and fundamentally opposes the idea of entrusting human conflict resolution to technology.

In a detailed philosophical statement, Habermas emphasized that genuine discourse requires personal engagement and the sensitive adoption of others’ perspectives — something that cannot be delegated to machines. He described the use of his name as misleading and promotional.

In response, Google DeepMind expressed their regret and confirmed they will no longer use Habermas’ name in connection with any project or service.