Der Spiegel, arguably Germany's best-known news outlet, has published an article that couldn't be more emblematic of the mood in Germany. Translated, it reads:

"The Nobel laureate in Literature admits to using AI for her books. Is that a scandal?"

Let that sink in for a second, to let the absurdity of the question sink in.

A scandal is a sensational event or behavior that causes widespread public outrage and moral indignation.

So the question is whether the use of AI in writing books is *in itself* scandalous, that is, grounds for moral outrage.

The question of the purpose of the use, the content, isn't even raised; no criticism is even considered. Instead, the article directly asks about the value of moral condemnation simply because the use of AI is being discussed.

Germany in a nutshell. Moral outrage replaces criticism. German Angst in the face of AI.