Cultural participation, including in literature, is a human right. Access to cultural assets and works of art, which can be individually enriching and shape our society, should be open to as many people as possible. ‘Access’ means, on the one hand, experiencing the essential aspects of a work through the senses, and, on the other hand, having the opportunity to understand it. However, sophisticated written language is an obstacle for many people when it comes to literature. According to studies, up to 17 million adults in Germany have impaired reading comprehension for various reasons, making it difficult or impossible for them to access literature. Should we intervene by changing literary works themselves, perhaps even using AI? In any case, there is a passionate controversy around radically simplifying literature in terms of vocabulary, grammar, content and meaning. There is a demand on the market for simplified classics. On the other hand, it is not only a question of the dignity of great works of art, but also of whether the simplification of literature actually delivers what it promises. Can a work of art whose complexity has been reduced still be appreciated, or are the texts published as simplified literature simply new works that bear little resemblance to their originals in terms of wit and effect? Enter generative AI: the first publishers and online communities are using large language models to create simplified literary works, bringing the idea of ‘simplification at the touch of a button’ within reach. While some see this as a promising aid, others categorically reject it as cultural sacrilege. Still others believe that generative AI is not at all suitable for this type of task, for both technical reasons and reasons inherent in the nature of literature itself.

Thomas Kater is a literary scholar who studied German language and literature, as well as philosophy and Catholic theology. He is currently conducting research at the University of Münster as a senior fellow in the Centre for Advanced Study “Access to Cultural Goods in Digital Change”. In this episode of “Digitalgespräch”, the expert explains which characteristics of literary works pose barriers to reception, how these barriers are being broken down, and the dilemma faced by those who want to enable cultural participation by simplifying works. He introduces the participants and central arguments of the discussion, and explains which aspects of digitality play a role in participation in literature and the literary world, as well as the relevant legal and practical issues. With hosts Marlene Görger and Petra Gehring, Kater discusses how digitalisation is changing publishing practices, the new stakeholders promoting cultural participation, how writers are positioning themselves, the core questions of literary studies that the debate on simplifying literature raises, and whether using AI to translate into simple language is a viable way of making important literary works accessible to previously excluded audiences in a short period of time – and which alternative approaches besides simplification can enable participation.

Episode 64 of Digitalgespräch, feat. Thomas Kater of University of Münster, 13. Mai 2026

Further informationen:

Website of the Centre for Advanced Study Access to Cultural Goods in Digital Change: https://www.uni-muenster.de/KFG-Zugang/en/index.html

Publication Series Access Points of the Centre for Advanced Study Access to Cultural Goods in Digital Change: https://www.uni-muenster.de/KFG-Zugang/en/publikationen/accesspoints/index.html

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The podcast is in German. At the moment there is no English version or transcript available.