The eTHIcs research group at Ingolstadt University of Technology, led by Prof. Dr Laura Crompton, focuses on ethics, artificial intelligence and digital transformation. It brings together technical, societal and philosophical perspectives on AI and digitalisation. Its work centres on issues relating to technology assessment, the acceptance of AI systems, regulation and the responsible design of human-machine interactions. The eTHIcs Digitalisation College, funded by the Bavarian Research Institute for Digital Transformation (bidt), is also affiliated with the eTHIcs research group. As an interdisciplinary training programme, it raises awareness amongst students from various digitalisation degree programmes of the societal, normative and ethical implications of modern technologies.

This university-wide, cross-disciplinary programme combines the theoretical foundations of ethics with practical reflection and application to technical developments.

1. eTHIcs basics – open to all

The basic module “eTHIcs basics: Recent Topics in the Ethics of Technology” forms the theoretical foundation of the eTHIcs qualification programme. It consists of an interdisciplinary lecture series (eTHIcs Lecture Series) with accompanying pre-reading courses, as well as the eTHIcs Conference. In the lectures, internal and external experts explain key concepts in the ethics of digitalisation, covering topics such as machine ethics, algorithmic discrimination, social dynamics in digital media and AI in medicine. The eTHIcs Conference explores these topics in greater depth through short student presentations, poster presentations and a peer-review process. The basic module is integrated into the curriculum and is fully credit-bearing. The lecture series is open to all interested parties.

2. CAI-B: Ethics and Law

Course for students on the CAI Bachelor’s programme.

3. AI-B: Ethics and Law – Ethics component

Ethics component of the course ‘Ethics and Law’ for students on the AI Bachelor’s programme.

4. UXD-M: Critical UX Reflections

Course for students on the UXD Master’s programme (lecturer: Josephine Ruppenthal).

Application Module, Summer/Winter School and Certificate

Building on the Basic Module, the Application Module takes the form of the eTHIcs Summer/Winter School. The eTHIcs retreat provides a space to engage intensively with issues in the ethics of technology and to reflect collectively on the responsible design of digital technologies.

The free AI Ethics Retreat (next taking place from 8–12 February 2027) organised by the eTHIcs Digitalisation College is a five-day intensive programme for interested students, focusing on the ethical, social and environmental implications of artificial intelligence. The retreat takes place at the Speinshart Scientific Centre for AI and SuperTech (https://speinshart.ai) and brings together advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students from technical disciplines who wish to deepen their understanding of AI ethics, responsible AI development and ethical impact assessment (EIA).

The programme combines academic insights with practical application. Participants analyse real-world AI use cases such as recruitment systems, medical diagnostics, predictive policing, generative AI and smart city technologies. Through workshops, lectures and collaborative projects, students learn to identify ethical risks, analyse issues of bias and fairness, assess transparency and explainability, and develop risk mitigation strategies for responsible AI systems.

A key methodological focus of the retreat is the Ethical Impact Assessment (EIA), which enables participants to systematically identify stakeholders, assess risks and develop responsible design recommendations for AI technologies. Topics include algorithmic bias, fairness, transparency, explainable AI (XAI), accountability in socio-technical systems and the interaction between humans and AI.

Set in the welcoming surroundings of Speinshart Monastery, the retreat offers a unique combination of academic dialogue, interdisciplinary collaboration and focused reflection on the future of artificial intelligence. The initiative aims to support the expansion of AI ethics research in Bavaria and to build a network of students and researchers committed to responsible innovation and ethical technology development.

By the end of the programme, participants will have developed their own ethical impact assessment and acquired practical skills for integrating ethics into real-world AI development processes, thereby preparing them to become responsible developers, researchers and decision-makers in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.

Interested? Please send your application to Laura.Crompton@thi.de or Estherfee.Reinhardt@thi.de 

Anyone who successfully completes both the core module and the application module will receive the ‘eTHIcs’ university certificate. This certifies in-depth knowledge of ethics, AI and digital responsibility.

“Ethics Office Hours” open to anyone interested

Knowledge dies in the dark, but great science thrives on discussion! That’s why we, the AImotion Ethics Team, are opening our doors for some Ethics Office Hours.

Upcoming dates:

• Thu, 5.11.2026   15:30 -16:30 Thema: AI Agents and AI Agency

• Wed, 18.11.2026 16:00 – 17:00

• Thu, 03.12.2026 15:30 – 16:30

• Thu, 17.12.2026 15:30 – 16:30

Come along after 4.00 pm to the common room on Level 3 of the K Building on the Ingolstadt campus (Esplanade 10, right next to the brigk Incubator) and join us for a lively, informal discussion about AI, ethics, art, humanity, computer science and all the intersections in between. We’ll be bringing along some interesting reading material from the fields of AI ethics and AI in the broader sense: articles, book extracts, talks, conference ideas and other fascinating topics worth reflecting on. Many of you have already come to us with your own questions, ranging from ‘How can I ever really know whether yellow looks the same to everyone else as it does to me?’ to ‘What responsibility do I bear for the subsequent use of a model that I did not intend?’ In this way, we’d like to create a space for these questions.

Bring along a question like that. A genuine question. One that’s truly close to your heart. Drinks are available at cost price, so come and enjoy the proud German tradition of the ‘after-work beer’ with colleagues from various disciplines. The ethics nerds will definitely be there. We’re going to have a great time, and you’re more than welcome to join us.

Dates above · 4.00 pm · Level 3, K Building · Ethics office hours

In-house Reading Club

In the in-house Reading Club, we read and discuss selected texts on ethics, AI and digitalisation. The focus is on jointly exploring different perspectives and exchanging views on issues arising from our research.

Interested in taking part? Please feel free to contact Laura.Crompton@thi.de 

• Ankit Thakur
• Önbas, Tugcan

• Prof. Matthias Uhl
• Dr. Florian Richter
• Anja Bodenschatz
• Andriy Karpenko