Rebecca Ciesielski

Rebecca Ciesielski works as an investigative TV and radio reporter at Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR), specializing in reporting on AI, data protection, AdTech, and surveillance technologies. Much of her work examines the individual and societal consequences of data-driven systems, including biometric identification in Afghanistan, emotion-recognition AI in call centers, and the security risks posed by location data from smartphone apps.

An important element of her investigations has repeatedly been the technical analysis of such systems, in order to concretely illustrate the risks they pose for affected individuals – especially where people can no longer fully understand how algorithms influence their lives, guide their decisions, and shape society as a whole.

As a speaker, on panels, and in podcasts she addresses AI ethics, theoretical and practical approaches to algorithmic accountability reporting, and automated journalism. Her perspective on technology, politics, and society has been shaped by her studies in Computer Science, Communication Science, and Cultural Anthropology, as well as by study and work stays in Nepal, Tanzania, Kenya, and Israel.

Before joining BR, she worked as a freelance writer for newspapers such as Handelsblatt and Der Tagesspiegel, completed an editorial traineeship at ZDF, worked as a TV writer for the ZDF programs “Leschs Kosmos” and “Terra X”, and received a journalism training scholarship from the Institut für publizistische Ausbildung (ifp) in Munich. Together with colleagues, she has won several awards, including the Grimme Online Award and the European Press Prize.