Ethics in IT : Department of Informatics : Universität Hamburg

Photo: Bru-nO from pixabay, cropped

Welcome!

This is the homepage of the research group Ethics in Information Technology at Universität Hamburg. Our team researches the ethical, legal, social and political implications of contemporary information technologies and big data practices.

Here you can learn more about our research group and interdisciplinary team, the research, and teaching we do within and beyond the department of informatics and find latest news about activities from members of the research group.

Photo: Alina Constantin / Better Images of AI / Handmade A.I / CC-BY 4.0

EIT Public Lecture Series: TAMING THE MACHINES

"Taming the Machines" takes a summer break and will be back in winter term with more exciting lectures on Tuesdays. This time focussing on "Artificial Intelligence, Digital Technologies, and the Future of of Human Sociality". Confirmed speakers are Karine Gentelet, Lisa Herzog, Jeanette Hofmann, Janina Loh, Steffen Mau and Michael Nagenborg. We will keep you updated here.

Now available on Lecture2Go: this summer term's program with lectures by Sabina Leonelli, Mirko Tobias Schäfer, Katja Mayer and Geoffrey Bowker. Lectures by Shannon Vallor and Fred Schäfer following soon. Please also browse our past programs and stream previous talks.

News

Imagebild Corona App: Frau mit Gesichtsmaske im Hintergrund, im Vordergrund Smartphone in Nutzung

Photo: geralt from pixabay, cropped

3 July 2022|Publication

Deutschlandfunk Nova: Vertrauen in der Pandemie – philosophische Erwägungen

In der Reihe "Hörsaal" sendet Deutschlandfunk Nova am Sonntag, 3. Juli 2022 ab 19 Uhr einen Vortrag von Prof. Judith Simon, der später auch als Podcast abrufbar sein wird. Der Beitrag "Vertrauen in der Pandemie – philosophische Erwägungen" war Teil des interdisziplinären Symposiums "Infektionen und Gesellschaft – was haben...

Stuhlreihen in einem Saal, rechts und links vom Mittelgang

Photo: GK von Skoddeheimen from pixabay

27 June 2022|Event

Conference: Responsibility and Autonomy in Artificial Intelligence

This two-day conference on philosophical issues about autonomy and responsibility in the area of AI technologies will take place in in the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Oxford on 27-28 June 2022. Live stream will be available. Prof. Dr. Judith Simon is going to talk about "Inquiring trustworthy AI: Can we trust...

Nine small images with schematic representations of differently shaped neural networks, a human hand making a different gesture is placed behind each network.

Photo: Alexa Steinbrück / Better Images of AI / Explainable AI / CC-BY 4.0

23 June 2022|Event

Workshop: Issues in XAI: Between Ethics and Epistemology

Prof. Dr. Judith Simon is one of the keynote speakers at this three-day workshop (May 23 – 25, 2022) organized by Delft University of Technology. The workshop focuses on the normative and epistemic aspects of explainable AI (XAI). Other keynote speakers are Filippo Santoni de Sio, Frederica Russo and Otavio Bueno.

large joint workspace with people sitting side by side working on laptops

Photo: Israel Andrade on Unsplash, cropped

22 June 2022|Event

Keynote: Vertrauenswürdige KI? Zum Verhältnis von Vertrauen, Wissen und Technologie

Anlässlich des 20. Geburtstages von TELOTA findet am 22. Juni 2022 eine Festveranstaltung im Einsteinsaal der Berlin-Brandenburgischen Akademie der Wissenschaften in Berlin statt. Ab 10 Uhr gibt es Vorträge, Panels und Projektpräsentationen. Prof. Dr. Judith Simon beschließt den Tag mit der Keynote "Vertrauenswürdige KI...

conference poster in orange with image of humanoid robot

Photo: C4e/University of Toronto, modified

20 June 2022|Event

Workshop: Trust and the Ethics of AI

*** Missed the workshop? Recording now available. For link please see below. *** At this workshop organized by the Centre for Ethics of the University of Toronto, Prof. Dr. Judith Simon will give a talk on "Can and Should We Trust AI?". The workshop starts at 15:00 CEST and will be broadcasted through the Centre's YouTube...

Photo: Alexa Steinbrück / Better Images of AI / Explainable AI / CC-BY 4.0

16 June 2022|Event

ExpertInnen-Gespräch: Frei oder ferngesteuert? Wie Algorithmen unser Leben bestimmen

Die SPD-Fraktion Hamburg lädt am 16. Juni 2022 um 18:30 Uhr zu einem ExpertInnen-Gespräch in das Hamburger Rathaus ein. Neben Prof. Dr. Judith Simon diskutieren auf dem Podium Matthias Spielkamp (Mitbegründer von AlgorithmWatch), Jan Kottmann (Google), Sarah Timmann und Arne Platzbecker (beide SPD-Fraktion Hamburg) zum...

Archive of current news

Bits and Pieces*

25 October 2021|International

SZ: Das steht in den "Facebook Files"

"Die Erkenntnisse aus den Dokumenten der Whistleblowerin Frances Haugen zeigen, wie sich ein Weltkonzern selbst überfordert."

5 October 2021|International

MIT Technology Review: The Facebook whistleblower says its algorithms are dangerous. Here’s why.

"Frances Haugen’s testimony at the Senate hearing today raised serious questions about how Facebook’s algorithms work—and echoes many findings from our previous investigation."

3 October 2021|International

AP News: China tightens political control of internet giants

"The ruling Communist Party is tightening political control over China’s internet giants and tapping their wealth to pay for its ambitions to reduce reliance on U.S. and European technology."

3 October 2021|International

Venture Beat: What we can learn from China’s proposed AI regulations

"In late August, China’s internet watchdog, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), released draft guidelines that seek to regulate the use of algorithmic recommender systems by internet information services. The guidelines are thus...

30 July 2021|International

Tackling deepfakes in European policy

"The emergence of a new generation of digitally manipulated media – also known as deepfakes – has generated substantial concerns about possible misuse. In response to these concerns, this report assesses the technical, societal and...

30 July 2021|International

How Google quietly funds Europe’s leading tech policy institutes

"The search giant has provided tens of millions of pounds of funding to academics investigating issues closely related to its business model."

Archive of current news

* Bits and Pieces

Under "Bits and Pieces" we share reads, podcasts or videos which we find interesting. Please note that the viewpoints expressed in the shared content do not represent the position of the Ethics in Information Technology working group, any of its members, nor of the University of Hamburg.