Hidden Decisions
Mapping the Discretion Built Into AI Systems
International and Interdisciplinary Conference
October 29, 2026
At every stage of the AI supply chain, humans make pivotal decisions. These decisions shape how AI systems behave, whose interests they serve, and what values they embody. The technical processes, criteria, and trade-offs that guide these choices, however, remain unclear.
Against this background, the conference aims to map the decision spaces embedded in the design of AI systems – and discuss who occupies them, how they are and should be used, and where law can meaningfully engage. It features leading scholars and industry experts from Computer Science, Ethics, and Law.
Registration Open
We look forward to receiving your registration.
Participation is free of charge.
Program
Thursday, 29 October 2026
09:00 - 09:15 CET
Welcome
09:15 - 10:00 CET
Keynote
- Dr. Ansgar Koene, EY Global AI Ethics and Regulatory Leader
Video Contributions
- Prof. Jonathan Zittrain, Harvard Law School
- Prof. Ryan Calo, University of Washington
10:00 - 10:15 CET
Coffee Break
10:15 - 12:15 CET
PANEL 1: Training Data and Equality
- Dr. Angelie Kraft, Weizenbaum Institute
- Prof. Dr. Dan Katz, Bucerius Center for Legal Technology & Data Science/Chicago-Kent College of Law
- Victoria Guijarro Santos, University of Münster
- Moderation: Dr. Pascal T. Sierek, Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law, and Dr. Darius Rostam, LL.M. (NYU), Bucerius IP Center
12:15 - 13:15 CET
Joint Lunch Break
13:15 - 15:15 CET
PANEL 2: System Architecture and Fairness
- Prof. Dr. Irina Shklovski, University of Copenhagen
- Dr. Annette Zimmermann, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Bjørn Aslak Juliussen, PhD, The Arctic University of Norway
- Moderation: Prof. Dr. Dana Beldiman, LL.M. (Santa Clara), Bucerius Law School
15:15 - 15:45 CET
Coffee Break
15:45 - 17:45 CET
PANEL 3: Output Moderation and Disinformation
- Dr. Tobias Mast, Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI)
- Dr. Murat Karaboga, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI
- Dr. Paul Röttger, Oxford Internet Institute
- Moderation: Prof. Dr. Linda Kuschel, LL.M. (Harvard), Bucerius Law School
17:45 - 18:00 CET
Closing Remarks
18:00 CET
Reception
organisational information
You can attend the event in person at Bucerius Law School or online (to allow international participation).
When you signed up for the online conference, you will receive the login details to the e-mail address with which you registered. The login details will be sent two days before the conference.
Bucerius Law School
Jungiusstraße 6
20355 Hamburg
Germany
Bucerius Law School does not have public parking. Public parking garages are located in the direct neighborhood. There are several spots in the Messe-Ost parking garage.
