The many advantages and new possibilities of digitalization are increasingly accompanied by unclear responsibilities, a lack of accountability, and growing power to digital tech firms. Meeting the new challenges and threats that come along with digital interconnectivity requires a multifaceted approach that addresses both technical vulnerabilities and human factors. By bringing together experts from diverse fields, an interdisciplinary approach enables a comprehensive understanding of the current and developing challenges – and helps to develop holistic solutions that address technical, human, legal, and ethical aspects.
Recent technological advances such as deepfakes (the hyperrealistic imitation of audio-visual content) but also ever more powerful Large Language Models (such as ChatGPT or LLaMa) pose new risks. Namely, using such technologies enables new forms of manipulation, deception, and fraud. The consequences of such attacks range from the societal level such as manipulation of democratic processes, to the individual level where people might reveal sensitive information, or transfer data or money to attackers.
The summer school “Taming the risks of digital technologies - interdisciplinary collaboration for a trustworthy future” will bring together researchers working in the field of manipulative technologies. It will bring together scholars from various disciplines including IT security research, computer science, communication science, psychology, economics and more. The summer school will feature keynotes, hands-on workshops highlighting the risks but also providing insights into concrete countermeasures to manipulative tech.
The summer school is hosted by SecHuman and the Research Center Trustworthy Data Science and Security.
Date: 29 – 31 July 2024
Place: Beckmanns Hof, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Open for: PhDs and Postdocs as well as PIs from the discipline of IT security or related areas of research
Registration: Please apply here by June 12, 2024.
Preliminary Program (Overview of the program here)
DAY 1 | Monday, July 29
9:30-10:00 Coffee and registration
10:00-10:15 Welcome and introduction
- Angela Sasse (Human-Centred Security, Ruhr University Bochum & Research Center Trustworthy Data Science and Security)
- Nils Köbis (Human Understanding of Algorithms and Machines, University of Duisburg-Essen & Research Center Trustworthy Data Science and Security)
11:15-11:30 Coffee break
11:30-12:30 Challenges/Case studies (parallel sessions)
12:30-14:00 Lunch break
14:00-15:30 Invited talk (speaker tbc)
15:30-15:45 Coffee break
15:45-17:00 Speed dating
17:15-20:30 Barbecue at Beckmanns Hof
DAY 2 | Tuesday, July 30
9:30-10:00 Coffee
10:00-11:15 Invited talk (speaker tbc)
11:15-11:30 Coffee break
11:30-12:30 Challenges/Case studies (parallel sessions)
12:30-14:00 Lunch break
14:00-15:30 Lightning talks participants
15:30-15:45 Coffee break
15:45-17:00 Poster session
17:15-20:30 Snacks and movie time at Beckmanns Hof
DAY 3 | Wednesday, July 31
9:30-10:00 Coffee
10:00-11:15 Invited talk: "Value based Engineering for a better AI future"
- Sarah Spiekermann-Hoff (Information Systems & Society, Vienna University of Economics and Business)
11:15-11:30 Coffee break
11:30-12:30 Challenges/Case studies (parallel sessions)
12:30-14:00 Lunch break
14:00-15:30 Talks
- Ivan Habernal (Fairness and Transparency, Ruhr University Bochum & Research Center Trustworthy Data Science and Security)
- Bilal Zafar (Computing and Society, Ruhr University Bochum & Research Center Trustworthy Data Science and Security)
15:30-15:45 Coffee break
15:45-16:45 Challenges: Presentation of Results // Closing Remarks