Research

Research interests

Research activities and results

Since 2024:
Systemic Risks of Artificial Intelligence (project leader), research project as part of the project "Systemic and Existential Risks of Artificial Intelligence", funding by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, from Jan 2024 to Dec 2025
Since 2019:
GOAL - Governance of and by algorithms (project leader at ITAS), research project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, from Sep 2019 to Aug 2021
  • 2022, Preprint (under review): Normative Challenges of Risk Regulation of Artificial Intelligence and Automated Decision-Making, reference
  • 2022, Working paper: Tackling problems, harvesting benefits - A systematic review of the regulatory debate around AI, reference
  • 2022, Presentation: Tackling problems, harvesting benefits - A systematic review of the regulatory debate around AI, reference
  • 2022, Book chapter: Risikoregulierung von künstlicher Intelligenz und automatisierten Entscheidungen, reference
  • 2020, Statement to public consultation on European Commissions's White paper on Artificial Intelligence, reference
  • 2021, Presentation at "Demokratie im Gespräch: "Computer sagt Nein"? Diskriminierungsrisiken durch algorithmische Entscheidungssysteme", reference
  • 2020, Presentation at "Die Macht der Algorithmen - Ethische Grenzen, Schutz vor Diskriminierung und Datenschutz", reference
  • Link to outside Project description at institute's website
Since 2018:
Risks of discrimination by algorithms (project leader), research project funded by the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency (Anti-Diskriminierungstelle des Bundes), from Jan 2018 to Dec 2018
  • 2023, Presentation: Künstliche Intelligenz, Diskriminierungsrisiken und Auswirkungen auf die Menschenwürde [Artificial intelligence, discrimination risks and impacts on human dignity], reference
  • 2023, Presentation: "Fairness" als Antwort auf algorithmische Diskriminierungsrisiken ist nicht genug ["Fairness" as response to algorithmic discrimination risks is not enough], reference
  • 2022, Presentation: Diskriminierungsrisiken durch Verwendung von Algorithmen [Discrimination risks through the use of algorithms], reference
  • 2020, Contribution to study: Mögliche Diskriminierung durch algorithmische Entscheidungssysteme und maschinelles Lernen - ein Überblick, reference
  • 2019, Translated study: Risks of Discrimination through the Use of Algorithms, reference
  • 2018, Study: Diskriminierungsrisiken durch Verwendung von Algorithmen, reference
  • Link to outside Projekt webpage (english), Link to outside Projektwebseite (deutsch)
  • Link to outside Website of the agency
2015-2019:
ABIDA - Assessing Big Data (one of the project leaders), research project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, from Mar 2015 to Feb 2019
  • Book chapter: Einstellungen und Erwartungen, reference
  • Survey: Attitudes towards big data practices and the institutional framework of privacy and data protection, reference
  • Edited book: Big Data. Gesellschaftliche Herausforderungen und rechtliche Antworten, reference
  • Edited book: Big Data und Gesellschaft. Eine multidisziplinäre Annäherung, reference
  • Citizens' Consultation on big data, June 2016, Stralsund
  • Citizens' Consultation on big data, May 2016, Aachen
  • Related article 'Big Data und die gesellschaftlichen Folgen', reference
  • Related presentation 'Big Data und die Folgen für den Einzelnen', reference
  • Link to outside Project website, Link to outside project flyer
2014-2016:
Value-oriented Design of the Future Internet (principal investigator), research initiative by the KIT
  • Related presentation 'Values and Networks - Steps Toward Exploring their Relationships', Brasil
  • Article 'Values and Networks - Steps Toward Exploring their Relationships', reference
  • Presentation 'Values and Networks', reference
  • Seminar 'Internet: Technologie & Werte', Link to outside webpage
2008-2019:
Software als Institution (Software as institution) (project leader), project by the KIT
  • Related presentation 'Smart worlds, smart rules?” On the legitimacy of digital systems of social rules', Berlin
  • Presentation 'Smarte Welten - Smarte Regeln? Legitimität von digitalen Regelsystemen', reference
  • Partly in article 'Values and Networks - Steps Toward Exploring their Relationships', reference
  • Report: Governance of Critical Infrastructures, Systemic Risks, and Dependable Software, reference
  • Article: Software als Institution und ihre Gestaltbarkeit, reference
  • Workshop: Software als Institution, Link to outside workshop website
2011-2014:
Systemic Risks in Energy Infrastructures (project leader until 2014), project within the Helmholtz Alliance Energy-Trans
2009-2010:
Dependable Software in Critical Infrastructures, research initiative by the KIT
  • Related report: Governance of Critical Infrastructures, Systemic Risks, and Dependable Software, reference
  • Book chapter: Technology Assessment of Software-Intensive Critical Infrastructures - A Research Perspective, reference
2006-2008:
PERCOMED - Pervasive Computing in der vernetzten medizinischen Versorgung (Pervasive Computing in Networked Medical Care) (project leader at ITAS), project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF),
  • Related article: Adopting Pervasive Computing for Routine Use in Healthcare, reference
  • Related article: Towards pervasive computing in health care - a literature review, reference
  • Article: Finanzierungsfragen des Pervasive Computing im Gesundheitswesen, reference
  • Article: Der Umgang mit Barrieren bei der Einführung von Pervasive Computing. Ein Literaturüberblick, reference
2006:
Recasting of Copyright and Related Rights for the Knowledge Economy (subcontract), project co-ordinated by Institute of Information Law, University of Amsterdam on behalf of the European Commission
  • Book chapter: Consumer Awareness and Acceptance of Copyright, reference
2004-2006:
INDICARE - The Informed Dialogue about Consumer Acceptability of DRM Solutions in Europe (project leader), project funded by the European Commission, DG Information Society
  • Related article: Konsultationsverfahren als Mittel der politischen Gestaltung des digitalen Rechtemanagements - notwendig, aber nicht hinreichend, reference
  • Article: Report on the 3rd DRM Conference, reference
  • Article: Report by the High Level Group on DRM at the European Commission, references
2004-2005:
Socio-Economic Challenges of Grid Computing, project by ITAS
  • Related article: Grid-Economics [in German], reference
  • Article: Sozio-ökonomische Herausforderung des Grid-Computing, reference
2002-2005:
Foresight on Information Society Technologies in the European Research Area (FISTERA), project funded by the European Commission, DG Information Society, coordinated by the Joint Research Centre, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies
2003:
Mapping the European Knowledge Base of Socio-Economic Impact Studies of Information Society Technologies (EKB-SEIS), project funded by the European Commission, coordinated by the Joint Research Centre, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies
  • Book chapter and data base entry: E-Commerce. Societal Dimension of ICTs, reference
2001-2002:
E-Commerce, project conducted on behalf of the German Parliament (Bundestag) by ITAS together with the Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag
  • Related book: E-Commerce in Deutschland. Eine kritische Bestandsaufnahme zum elektronischen Handel, reference
  • Book chapter: Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien und nachhaltige Entwicklung, reference
  • Book chapter: Elektronischer Handel und Nachhaltigkeit, reference
  • Book chapter: Stand, Perspektiven und Folgen des E-Commerce, reference
  • Book chapter: Electronic Commerce [in German], reference
2000-2001:
Chancen und Risiken des Internet für den Buchhandel - Projekt Online-Buchhandel (Opportunities and Risks of the Internet for the Book Trade - Project Online Bookselling), project by ITAS
  • Book: Online-Buchhandel in Deutschland. Die Buchhandelsbranche vor der Herausforderung des Internet, reference
  • Book chapter: The Power of the Middleman in Electronic Markets - The Case of the German Bookselling Industry, reference
1999:
Research visit, Department of Economics, University of Washington, Seattle, USA (five month)
1994-2000:
Information als privates Gut - Mehr Umweltschutz durch ökologische Publizitätspflichten (Information as a Private Good. More Environmental Protection with Environmental Disclosure Regulation), project partly funded by Volkswagen Foundation
  • Book chapter: Environmental Marketing and Public Policy, reference
  • Book chapter: Economic Aspects of Environmental Labelling, reference
  • Article: Environmental Labelling in Europe: European and National Tasks, reference
  • Article: Ökonomische Analyse der EU-Richtlinie zur integrierten Vermeidung und Verminderung der Umweltschmutzung, reference
  • Book (dissertation): Corporate Environmental Disclosure - An Economic Analysis, reference
  • Book chapter: Umweltschutzorientierte Unternehmenspublizität, reference
1993:
Informationsinstrumente des betrieblichen Umweltschutzes. Ökologische Bilanzierung und Controlling (Information Instruments of Corporate Environmental Protection. Eco-Balances and Eco-Controlling), project at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum, advised by Prof. Dr. Paul Klemmer

Research grants received

Funding