Artificial Intelligence from a European perspective

International and interdisciplinary: a network of 26 Internet research institutes is researching the social challenges of digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). At a conference in Haifa, young researchers will present their results on legal and ethical implications of AI and the ongoing work of the network will be discussed.

Berlin, 28 November 2017 – How transparent do algorithms have to be, according to the European General data protection regulation (GDPR)? How can the ethical effects of artificial intelligence be measured and labelled? What influence does AI have on privacy and democracy? From 28 to 30 November, young scientists from European research institutes will present their research results and engage with these questions at the conference “Artificial Intelligence: ethical and legal implications” in Haifa, Israel, which is organised by the Center for Cyber Law & Policy, University of Haifa (CCLP) and the European Hub. The keynote will be given by Helen Nissenbaum of Cornell Tech, New York.

The research institutions belong to an international network which aims to strengthen European internet research at the international level. The network currently consists of 26 research institutes in 15 countries, including the Nexa Center for Internet and Society in Turin, the Oxford Internet Institute in the UK and the Digital Center in Warsaw. The so-called European Hub is coordinated by the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG) in Berlin.

“It is impressive how many young colleagues in Europe are already approaching the question of the potentials and risks AI holds for society and the individual, from a variety of different perspectives. Through the conference, we are giving them a platform to exchange ideas, get new food for thought and network,” says Wolfgang Schulz, Research Director at the HIIG. “They also have the opportunity to discuss their work with established researchers. For example Helen Nissenbaum, one of the most important international thinkers on privacy, will take part in the conference.” The European Hub was founded in October 2017 and is part of the Global Network of Internet Society Research Centers. In addition to the focus on artificial intelligence, the institutes want to discuss and consolidate their further cooperation during the time of the conference.

Further information: The program of the conference: http://noc-europeanhub.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/AI-Legal-Ethical-Implications.pdf

About the NoC: http://networkofcenters.net, about the HIIG: https://www.hiig.de/

Press contact: Florian Lüdtke | phone: +49 30 200 760 82 | presse@hiig.de 

About the Network of Centers

The Global Network of Internet and Society Research Centers (NoC) was launched by a group of academic centers – including the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG) – in 2012 in recognition of the lack of internationally coordinated research and engagement activities in issues concerning the Internet and related technologies. The NoC is a collaborative initiative between academic institutions with a focus on interdisciplinary research on the development, social impact, policy implications, and legal issues concerning the Internet. This collective aims to increase interoperability between participating centers in order to stimulate the creation of new cross-national, cross-disciplinary conversation, debate, teaching, learning, and engagement regarding the most pressing questions around new technologies, social change, and related policy and regulatory developments. More information can be found at http://networkofcenters.net/about.

About the HIIG

The Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG) researches the development of the internet from a societal perspective. The aim is to better understand the digitalisation of all spheres of life. As the first research institute in Germany to focus on on internet and society, HIIG has established an understanding that emphasises the embeddedness of digital innovations in societal processes. As node in the Global Network of Interdisciplinary Internet & Society Research Centers, an initiative of scientific institutions worldwide in the field of interdisciplinary research on internet and society, the institute is trying to develop a European perspective on digital transformation.

The HIIG was founded in 2011 by the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the University of the Arts Berlin and the Social Science Research Center Berlin, in alliance with the Hans-Bredow Institute for Media Research in Hamburg as an integrated co-operation partner. The research directors of the institute are Prof. Dr. Jeanette Hofmann, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Ingolf Pernice, Prof. Dr. Björn Scheuermann, Prof. Dr. Dr. Thomas Schildhauer and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schulz.