The junior research group deals empirically with questions of machine ethics and the ethics of human-machine interaction. In the field of machine ethics, social intuitions are systematically surveyed about what lay people think about the morality of autonomous systems. Should algorithms be allowed to make decisions with moral relevance at all? According to which criteria should an autonomous car distribute risks in road traffic to different road users? In the field of the ethics of human-machine interaction, the ethical implications of interaction between humans and machines are investigated using mostly experimental methods. Among other things, the aim here is to recognize unintended consequences of the intentional use of machines and to counter them with an ethically compliant design. How does the mediation of a decision by technology influence decision-making behavior? Are algorithms perceived as partners or accomplices in the decision-making process?

The junior research group started on February 1, 2017 at the TU Munich and was migrated to the TH Ingolstadt on March 1, 2021.