The Convergence of Imperatives: Why AI Safety and Mental Health Require the Same Protection
Date: January 23, 2026
Category: Societal Impact
Executive Summary
January 23, 2026, marks a turning point. While the world looks to the great dangers of unregulated Superintelligence (AGI), a quiet revolution in digital health is taking place.
This report analyzes the connection between the global "Liedtke-Protocol" for AI safety and the "DepriBuddy" project. The central thesis: The challenges of 2026 cannot be solved by technology alone. We need a return to resilience and physical limits – both in silicon and in the human psyche.
1. The Macro-Framework: The AGI Speech
On January 23, 2026, the manifesto “Only together as mankind we can build a safe ethical AGI” was published. It is a clear rejection of technological nationalism.
The core message breaks with the doctrine of the “AI Arms Race”:
"The challenge of Artificial General Intelligence is not one that any single nation or organization can solve in isolation."
The speaker positions AGI as a Global Public Good. It becomes clear: Technical safety standards alone are not enough. A “Moral Imperative” is needed – an ethics that is physically anchored and valid across national borders. We must build a future where AI serves all of humanity, not just a privileged elite.
2. The Crisis of Connectivity: Why Social Media Makes Us Sick
While we debate Superintelligence, millions suffer under the current "dumb" AI: the algorithms of TikTok, Instagram, and co.
An analysis of the Attention Economy shows the brutal efficiency of this system:
The "Hook": A video must captivate within the first 3 seconds.
Visual Speed: Constant image changes for maximum dopamine release.
Micro-Proofs: Fast, superficial credibility.
For people with depression, this architecture is toxic. They seek peace and connection but find only sensory overload and the compulsion for "Upward Social Comparison" – the constant comparison with the perfect lives of others. A vicious cycle of loneliness and digital overwhelm.
3. The Counter-Design: The Project “DepriBuddy”
In response to this crisis, the BMBF-funded project DepriBuddy was created. It is proof that technology can work differently: Low-threshold, calming, human.
The strategy of "technologically supported proximity":
ASMR & 360° Video: Simulating physical proximity that soothes without forcing social interaction.
Cooperative Gamification: Instead of competition ("Who has the most likes?"), what counts is the communal – e.g., in virtual photo walks.
The Staged Model: Users can participate passively before interacting actively. No one is forced to "perform" online.
4. Slow Media: The Channel playing_lights_
A fascinating example of this philosophy is the YouTube channel playing_lights_.
In the logic of the attention economy, few subscribers are a failure. In the logic of mental health, it is a quality.
Titles: Instead of clickbait (“YOU WON'T BELIEVE...”), there is poetry: “frozen memories”, “morning glory”.
Pacing: The videos are slow, meditative, decelerated.
Safe Space: A "Digital Sanctuary" – free from trolls, hate, and noise. A protected space for creativity.
5. The Synthesis: AGI Governance Meets Psychology
Here, the circle closes to the Liedtke-Protocol.
If we build an AGI that is “safe and ethical”, it must understand principles that playing_lights_ practices on a small scale: Empathy, patience, and an understanding of human fragility.
An AGI trimmed purely for efficiency would delete a channel like playing_lights_ as "noise." An ethical AGI – secured by thermodynamic costs for harm – would recognize its value.
The required “Global Framework” must therefore not only regulate military risks but also the “cognitive safety” of humanity. Technology must not be an end in itself. Whether protecting against a Superintelligence or protecting against depression: The solution always lies in the overcoming of isolation.
"In a world of machines, the human element must be preserved."
Further Information
This paper analyzes the societal impact of the Liedtke-Protocol.
For the technical implementation and physical foundations of AI safety, please download the main paper below.
👉 Download: The Liedtke-Protocol
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