ZDF And AI-Training?

 I sat this AM and read through a piece.....management at ZDF (the public TV folks) have decided the scandal has reached a level where 'training' is required.

So all journalists are being signed up and to be given training.   What type?  Unknown.

My German wife asked me about training for AI about a year ago....which I  found a business-news service which offered a basic intro course.  It was enough to convince her to be firmly anti-AI in the end. (I'm not sure this was the right course for her)

What'll happen to the ZDF folks after the training?  That's the primary question I'm wondering about.

The present mentality with their particular journalists...is mostly to construct a news piece which urges you to take a position, feel a passion about, or simply to generate emotion.  AI was a tool in that process....which you have to identify it as official-AI if you still intend to use it in the news process.

The funny thing?  Well....whoever ZDF hired to provide training....might actually be a AI-manager, and AI itself might be 'teaching' or instructing.

Me?  If I were running the network....I'd hire AI to oversee all news pieces and 'warn' if AI-processes or AI-images or AI-video or AI-fake-people were built into the newscast.

Four Observations

 1.  This past week, with all the AI-turmoil with ZDF (public tv)....they kinda admitted that the selected news 'package' that arrives for the 'reader' and producer/editor....comes about 30 minutes prior to the newscast. So there's  barely enough time to go over or challenge the wording/video.  The 'reader' is really a job that anyone could fill...even a barber or welder.

2.   Lithuania: This attempt to have a deployed German brigade stationed there (permanently)....is apparently 'failing'.  Chief issue?  You have to be a volunteer, and even with bonus-pay and nicer housing/barracks....they aren't getting many volunteers.

3.  German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt gave a interview....says he wants to get asylum seekers into work quick.

The wording? Asylum seekers should be allowed to work after three months of residence in Germany, even if their asylum procedure has not yet been completed. There is 'funny' text here....you aren't obligated to work.

4.  Odd wording by CDU....they want 'protective' zones around schools....where cellphones would be prohibited....during school periods. 

22 Feb 2026: Germany: 8 Things

 1. Curious....from the big CDU Party meeting in Stuttgart (starting Friday)....from ARD/ZDF public TV, the sub-networks for public TV, and public radio.....200-plus folks 'deployed' at the party meeting.   You can figure they were already there probably on  Wed...preparing.   Lot of hotel cost.  Probably over a thousand interviews packaged.  

2.  From Focus this AM....news piece....China now actively getting into the heat-pump manufacturing business....trying to downsize the German-'slice'.  It is a hefty-cost if you a EU-heat-pump....if you showed up with a Chinese pump that was 30-percent cheaper....very likely to take business away.

3.  Another Focus item of curiosity.....statistics showing prices in general exploding in Germany....but more so in three states (Bremen, Brandenburg, and Bavaria)....since 2020....upwards to 21-percent.  Ifo numbers....so they aren't bogus.

Hamburg's rate of increase?  Closer to 2-percent.

4.  Odd discussions  going on....how to rack-and-stack the list of people for the job of German President.  Several parties saying it now has to be a woman. Early 2027....this comes up.

Personally, I think the answer is to get a Transwoman up for the job.

5.  Normally, to vote in German elections....you need a 'fixed' address...meaning if you were homeless, you can't vote.

So I noted....the state of Hesse....worked up a rule that would include them. You basically sign a registration form...saying for the past six weeks....you've lived 'here' (city park, train station, woods, under-the-bridge, etc). Note: you still are required to a national ID card.

6.  Another bus-strike for Wiesbaden next week.  Becoming a regular thing.

7. When this age-deal occurs on German social media (likely by spring 2027)....I'm wondering if student-strikes (walking out of class) will occur.

The Greta-kids/Fridays For The Future crowd....require social media to get the 'word' out.  

CDU-chatter....age 14 and under....zero social media connectivity.  Age 14/15....some connectivity but your parents would have to sign off.

I doubt that the parties have realized the full impact of their actions.

8.  Watched a N-TV news bit.....two of three German women are fearful of using public transportation at night.

Explaining The EU Digital ID Wallet (EUDI Wallet)

It is in a developmental stage.....a secure mobile app being developed under the European Union's updated eIDAS 2.0 regulation. 

It's designed to serve as a digital ID and personal wallet for EU citizens, residents, and businesses, allowing them to prove their identity online, store and share verified digital documents, and sign transactions across member states in a privacy-focused way.

It would keep control of personal data, rather than relying on third-party platforms that might track or monetize it.

You'd have the 'cookie', and it'd access some secure cloud.

Full rollout?  The talk is first  half of 2027.

Problems? First, it was introduced as a concept as being 'voluntary'.  A lot of talk in the past 3 months in  Germany....it'd be more than voluntary.

Second issue....some now suggest it has to force users to use real-names....for social media.

Third issue....who else has access, besides you?

Fourth issue....the odds that the Russians and Chinese are already trying to get access to the cloud?  

Fifth issue....forcing all visitors/guests/tourists into the EU to participate as well?  

By early 2027....I expect this to be a highly politicized issue in Germany.

Thrilled With Potholes/Patches In My Village

 I live in a village of about  4,000 folks.  There are three streets/roads that lead in and  out of the village.

Yesterday, I 'tested' all three exits/entrances.  If you start counting potholes/patch-work.....it's probably around 2,000.

The past twelve months?  A lot worse.  

We drove at one point over to the next village....to the grocery.  On that back-road...about 4 km....if you start counting, there's in the range of 1,000 potholes/patches.

Weather and salt-related? Well....you just start to wonder.

The Problem In Lacking Skepticism

 Wolfgang Herles wrote a commentary piece for Focus (here)....which goes to the topic of ZDF's (public TV) anti-Trump discussion.

Emphasis?  Well....the suggested political bias of the ZDF editorial staff.  Rather than insert some necessary skepticism towards unreliable sources...they seem to disregard the skepticism.

If you watch commercial German news....like Sat-1, N-TV, or N-24....the layer of use for unreliable sources/video....is a lot less.  It's been this way since 2016.

I would offer the commentary....some viewers of the nightly ZDF news...probably are affected by events in the past week.  At the very least....if a anti-Trump piece pops up....they might mute the piece until they move onto the next news item.

21 Feb 2026: Germany: 14 Stories

 1.   What is Prince Andrew really detained over?

Well...if you go back around ten years ago....it appears that Lord Mandelson helped secure the job of UK trade envoy for Prince Andrew against the wishes of the King. And somewhere in the information stages....Andrew probably gave sensitive info to the 'other' party.  Money involved?  Well....no one says that, so you wonder about black-mail.

Jail-time?  If this goes to court....he'd spend the rest of his life there. However, I'm more likely to believe that he'll offer juicy evidence on Mandelson and others....to avoid charges. Other option?  He might not be in a good state of mind (meaning  suicide).

2.  This weekend CDU Party meeting in Stuttgart?  Supposed to be a big deal....leading up to the 5 state elections in Germany for remainder of 2026.

3. ZDF (public TV) still cleaning up from the AI-story mess.  Appears that the bureau chief for ZDF in NY City....'let-go'.  

4.  Crazy weather for next week predicted....weather guy talking about plus-14 for 2 or 3 days (57 F).  Whole week might be plus-10 weather.

5. Planning for the Berlin-City election (Sep) is already in focus.  No intention of repeating the chaos from 5 years ago....where they had to repeat the election.

6.  Deutsche Bank CEO asks a public  question....why do Germans use twice as many sick days....as Swiss folks.

Pro-sick attitude?  Stress double of what Swiss folks suffer?  You would think that some PhD group would study this.  I suspect  that Swiss doctors are more unlikely to issue a sick-slip....even for a day or two.

My German wife used to work with a co-worker....who typically burned up 30-plus days a year in sick-leave......every single year....on top of regular leave.

7.  Just odd....CDU Party talking up the idea of sending bad-boy criminals at age  12....to some kind of jail-house (increasing urban problem)....but at same time....saying a social media-ban has to be introduced....age 16 and under.

You'd think if a kid is old enough for jail-house....probably old enough for social media.

8.  At the CDU party congress meeting in Stuttgart yesterday....the planned electronic vote on the re-election of party leader Friedrich Merz simply did not work. 

All that NRW Digital Minister Ina Scharrenbach could say....'strong technical irregularities at several points that currently cannot be explained.' 

So they went to paper-ballots.

Russians?  Well....no one said this but I would imagine everyone had this thought.

9. Odd story....from DW.....around 1.9 million German folks with university-level qualifications were at risk of poverty in 2025, an increase of 350,000 compared with 2022.

The emphasis of this?  Well....you go and spend four to six years in college....you expect results....not poverty.

Now...what isn't in the numbers released.....what areas of expertise? It might be a quarter of these folks in arts/music.

10.  Syrian gov't meeting with German gov't.....saying things are fragile right now....so don't send back refugees that were on the deportation list.

11. Just odd....Ramadan started up this week in Germany.....it got noticed that Muslim youths are acting as “religious police” in German schools during Ramadan and forcing students to fast. 

Reaction by teachers?  Frustration....students are getting dehydrated because they are forbidding students from drinking. What's odd here....you go back to 2015 or 2020....this type of student enforcement simply didn't occur.  

12.  This past week....deportation flight was arranged...carrying 49 folks back to Ghana, Cameroon and Nigeria. Cost?  102 police were engaged for the day.....380k Euro.

13.  Doesn't-make-sense story.  A theater group in Magdeburg is planning a production about the attack on the Christmas market in 2024. 

Key feature?  The play is supposed to address how right-wingers are allegedly politically exploiting the act.

Yeah, lot of frustration in general....play doesn't appeal to the bulk of locals.

14.  Frankfurt paper brought up a interesting topic...the Australian social media ban for youth.

They sent out a journalist that talked to teens 'affected'.

Almost ALL of the kids in the banned-age group.....STILL had access via various go-arounds.

Murder Story Unfolding

 Police were called to a house in  the Allgau region (far south, Baden-Wurttemberg state)...Steinheim is the village.

Two bodies found....older German couple (mid-60s).

This was late on Wed night.  So by Thursday AM....suspect picked up...45-year old Iraqi guy.

Motive at this point?  Zero.

Problem?  Well....on 8 March....there's set to be a state election.  Up to this point...AfD was set for a 3rd place win (20-percent in polling in past week).  Greens set for 21-percent, and CDU likely to win with 29-percent.

Over the next two weeks....a shift?  It's possible that some voters who were non-AfD-types....will pause over this,  and vote AfD.  I'm not talking about a major shift...but I might go to suggest a 3-point  upward tick for AfD, and both CDU and Greens losing  a point each (probably same story for SPD). 

You could have a scenario where the CDU still wins (say with 27-percent) and their intended partner in the coalition....the Greens...get 19-percent)....meaning it's not enough to reach 50-plus percent. 

This means a 3-party coalition (likely CDU-Greens-FDP or CDU-Greens-SPD).  It's not the end of the world, but it weakens the CDU brand.