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

Learning systems can make processes more efficient, convenient and secure. To do so, they must function reliably and be protected against attacks. With increasing connectivity, the attack surface grows; connected systems themselves become targets. The focus is on safety, security, trustworthiness and privacy: systems should be able to withstand disruptions, attacks and failures and maintain essential services. AI can itself contribute to IT security (e.g. by detecting vulnerabilities), but it also harbours risks if it is misused for cyber attacks. At the same time, legal and ethical questions arise regarding responsibility and liability, transparency and oversight, and the protection of fundamental rights, in particular data protection and non-discrimination. It is also necessary to clarify where the limits of permissible surveillance lie, how particularly vulnerable groups are taken into account, and how human responsibility and control can be appropriately integrated into highly autonomous systems.

Topics and organisation of the Working Group

The working group addresses issues relating to security, reliability and privacy in the development and application of learning systems in two sub-working groups. It also analyses legal and ethical requirements and maintains close contact with all other working groups.

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

Prof. Dr. Thorsten Holz
Ruhr University Bochum

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

Marian Klee
Brighter AI Technologies GmbH

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. 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. Jessica Heesen
Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen

Prof. Dr. Klaus Heine
Erasmus University Rotterdam

Bernhard Hüngsberg
Deutsche Telekom AG

Anna Kaiser
Tandemploy GmbH

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

Prof. Dr. Frauke Rostalski
Universität zu Köln

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?