WG 3: IT Security, Privacy, Legal and Ethical Framework

Self-learning systems have the potential to make many processes more efficient and more comfortable and secure for humans - under the condition that they operate reliably and are resistant to interferences, targeted attacks or unexpected occurrences. The increasing use of connected self-learning systems makes them vulnerable to potential attacks from hackers. As with all new technological innovations, new legal questions arise which must be integrated into a juridical framework. Questions cornering the liability or the use of personal data have to be addressed. It must be critically evaluated from an ethically standpoint what it implies for humans to pass-over control to machines. Furthermore, it has to be ensured that the decisions made by AI are fair and non-discriminatory.

Topics and organisation of the Working Group

The working group focuses on security, safety, and privacy issues in the development and application of self-learning systems. It also analyses the concurrent legal and ethical demands and engages in close exchange with the other working groups.

Detlef Houdeau

Jörn Müller-Quade

Jessica Heesen

Frauke Rostalski

Members of the Working Group (IT Security and Privacy)

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Beckert
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Prof. Dr. Michael Decker
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Prof. Dr. habil. Claudia Eckert
Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security AISEC

Marian Gläser
Brighter AI Technologies GmbH

Prof. Dr. Thorsten Holz
Ruhr University Bochum

Prof. Dr. Michael Huth
Technische Universität Nürnberg, Xayn AG

Dr. Katharina Krombholz
CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security

Andrea Martin
IBM Watson Center Munich

Prof. Dr. Konrad Rieck
Technische Universität Berlin

Peter Rost
Secunet Security Networks AG

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ahmad-Reza Sadeghi
Technical University of Darmstadt

Prof. Dr. Werner Schindler
Federal Office for Information Security

Dr. Dirk Wacker
Giesecke+Devrient GmbH

We have received written consent from the listed persons for the publication of their data in accordance with the DSGVO. This list of members is an excerpt and will be completed continuously.

Members of the Working Group (Law and Ethics)

Prof. Dr. Susanne Beck
Leibniz University Hannover

Prof. Dr. Christoph Bieber
Center for Advanced Internet Studies

Prof. Dr. Peter Dabrock
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

Prof. Dr. Michael Decker
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Prof. Dr. Gerd Gigerenzer
Max Planck Institut for Human Development

Prof. Dr. Armin Grunwald
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) / Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS)

Prof. Dr. Klaus Heine
Erasmus University Rotterdam

Bernhard Hüngsberg
Deutsche Telekom AG

Anna Kaiser
Tandemploy GmbH

Prof. Dr. Anne Lauber-Rönsberg
TU Dresden

Andrea Martin
IBM Watson Center Munich

Prof. Dr. Tobias Matzner
Paderborn University

Prof. Dr. Catrin Misselhorn
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Prof. Dr. Christoph Neuberger
Freie Universität Berlin, Weizenbaum Institute

Prof. Dr. Alexander Roßnagel
University of Kassel

Sebastian Schreiber
SySS GmbH

Prof. Dr. Judith Simon
Universität Hamburg, German Ethics Council

Prof. Dr. Louisa Specht-Riemenschneider
University of Bonn

Freek Staehr
SAP SE

Prof. Dr. Antje von Ungern-Sternberg
Trier University

Prof. Dr. Sandra Wachter
University of Oxford

Prof. Dr. Katharina Anna Zweig
Technische Universität Kaiserslautern

We have received written consent from the listed persons for the publication of their data in accordance with the DSGVO. This list of members is an excerpt and will be completed continuously.

Key Questions for the Working Group

IT Security and Privacy

How can we use AI for protection of IT-systems?
Which new threats can occur when attackers are using AI?
What could possibly happen when AI-systems are attacked and how can we protect them?
How can we guarantee a flexible handling with (individual-related) data for AI-application, while preserving the right for informational self-determination?

Law and Ethics

Which challenges occur when it comes to liability, criminal responsibility and fundamental legal and ethical issues?
How can we shape those systems to preserve human autonomy and basic rights, equal opportunities and prevent discrimination?
Is it reasonable to introduce a right for data ownership?
How can society actively participate during the implementation of self-learning systems?