Meaningful Human Control of AI

Our group investigates the ethics and philosophy of intelligent technology. It focuses on “Meaningful Human Control” so that technology aligns with human values. Our methods include, but are not limited to, conceptual analysis, conceptual engineering and value-sensitive design. We strive to provide actionable insights for the development and regulation of responsible, trustworthy and human-centered AI systems. We believe in transdisciplinary collaboration as a key to make a tangible societal impact.

Some of our overarching research questions:

How can we promote the development of technology that respects human values?
What are the consequences of artificial intelligence and neurotechnology for human moral agency and responsibility for action?
How can we ensure that social, democratic control over AI can be exerted?

Research group information

Click on one of the links below for more information about this research group or contact one of the members of this group.

People

Principal Investigator

Giulio Mecacci

Group members

Pim Haselager (Full professor)
Banu Buruk (Assistant Professor)

Postdocs

Thomasin Coggins (Postdoc)
Anco Peeters (Postdoc)

PhD candidates

Sanaa Abrahams (PhD candidate)
Lotte van Elteren (PhD candidate)
Simon Fischer (PhD candidate)

Affiliated members

Jan-Pieter Paardekooper

Key publications

Mecacci G., Amoroso D., Cavalcante Siebert L., Abbink D. A., van den Hoven J. & Santoni de Sio F. (Ed.). (2024). Research handbook on meaningful human control of artificial intelligence systems. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. Full text
Haselager W.F.G., Schraffenberger H.K., Thill S., Fischer S.W.S., Lanillos P.L., Groes S.A.W. van de & Hooff M.L. (2023). “Reflection machines: Supporting effective human oversight over medical decision support systems”. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics. Full text
Buruk B., Ekmekci E., Arda B. (2020) “A Critical Perspective on Guidelines for Responsible and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence”. Journal of Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy; 23(3), 387-399. Full text
Peeters, A. (2024). “Out of control: Flourishing with carebots through embodied design”. In G. Mecacci, D. Amoroso, L. Cavalcante Siebert, D. Abbink, J. van den Hoven, & F. Santoni de Sio (Eds.), Research Handbook on Meaningful Human Control over AI Systems (pp. 38–52). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. Full text
Fischer S. W. S., & de Boer B. (2024). “Negotiating becoming: A Nietzschean critique of large language models”. Ethics and Information Technology, 26(3), 42. Full text
Coggins, T.N., Steinert, S. (2023) “The seven troubles with norm-compliant robots.” Ethics and Information Technology 25, 29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-023-09701-1

Key grants and prizes

NOLAI Co-creation Project (Peeters: co-applicant - €10,000): "mAIndmap: visueel woorden leren met AI"
Nijmegen-Maastricht Collaboration Fund (Mecacci, Haselager: co-applicants - 1 postdoc): "Understanding 'Empathic Housing': towards ethically and legally informed design solutions for automated household".
NWO SSH XS 2024 (Mecacci, individual grant – 50K): “Does sense of agency influence taking responsibility for the operation of automated vehicles?”
Research Grant of the Donders Centre for Cognition (Mecacci: main applicant - 1 PhD position): “Disruptions of agency and responsibility gaps. Towards an agency-sensitive theory of meaningful human control over AI and automated systems”.
Radboud Healthy Data Consortium (Haselager, Mecacci: co-applicants - 1 PhD position): “Empowerment of Patients and Doctors Using Data and AI”.
Horizon Europe, Horizon-CL2-2021-Transformations-01-05 (Haselager, co-applicant – 1 postdoc position): “Integration of emerging new technologies into education and training (2021-2027)”.
Research Grant of the Donders Centre for Cognition (Haselager: co-applicant - 1 PhD position): “Reflection machines”.
AiNed ELSA Lab (Haselager, Peeters: co-applicants):“AI for Health Equity: Towards Fairness & Justice in Medical AI”
AiNed ELSA Lab: “Legal, Regulatory, and Policy Aspects of Clinical Decision Support Systems”

Contact information

Postal address

Postbus 9104
6500HE NIJMEGEN

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