Felix Klügling came into contact with the topic of AI and even landed an internship at Dow Jones through a multimedia report during his journalism studies. In addition to his full-time job in publishing, and even before he starts his master’s in “Public Relations & Digital Marketing” in October, he also founded a digital marketing agency. In our conversation, he explains how it all came about and how he manages it all.
Why did you choose the “Journalism and Corporate Communication” program?
When I came across the course, I thought I could become an investigative journalist and uncover injustices. However, in the first lecture, it was made clear to us relatively quickly that there is more to being a good journalist than just research. That was a bit of a setback, but it also makes it clear that a certain dedication to this field is necessary, and that’s a good thing.
Now you work in publishing and deal with economic topics, such as the stock market. How did that come about?
In the online journalism module, we were supposed to write a multimedia report. Here I decided to focus on AI (artificial intelligence), which is used on the stock market. I found that super interesting and realized that I could get excited about it even beyond my studies. Fortunately for me, I was able to talk to the “Head of Digital Lab” at the German Börse Group and make contacts that still last today and help me a lot in my current job. I was also able to complete the mandatory internship at Dow Jones in the editorial office in the 5th semester. There I dealt with company, market and economic news.
Fortunately for me, I was able to talk to the “Head of Digital Lab” at the German Börse Group and make contacts that continue to this day and help me in my current job.
Felix Klügling
What was the report about?
It was about exploring how artificial intelligence could be used as a tool on the stock market in the future. Whether it’s for processing data or simplifying processes that could run automatically, such as creating invoices.
Your bachelor’s thesis was on the topic of journalism and AI. What does that mean? Can computer programs replace journalists?
Not really (at least not for now). However, as on the stock market, it can simplify things. Depending on how the AI is programmed, it can even write articles that, at first glance, cannot be distinguished from those of a human. However, an AI can never be neutral. It would always be biased by the “programmer”.
So you see AI more as an opportunity for humanity than as a risk?
At this point, definitely yes. The Hollywood idea that AI acts independently and could take over at some point is unlikely. You can program AI to act independently, but that would still be based on programming that determines how much freedom of action the AI has. So humans are still in control.
What happened after you graduated with your bachelor’s degree and what are your plans for the future?
It was clear to me for a long time that I wanted to be self-employed (like many of my family members). So a few weeks ago I founded a digital marketing agency: the Chili Coorporation. The agency is modern, young and digital. You can pay with one click and use a configurator on the website to put together your own individual offer. Our main areas of focus are: graphic design, web design marketing and social media. We already have our first interested parties. It is important to us to break new digital ground, for example, we have a cooperation with an NFC business card provider from Mainz. In addition, a sum is to be donated to charity with each order.
We thank you for the interview and wish you all the best for the future!
