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Hadi Asghari, Dr.

Hadi Asghari is a postdoctoral researcher in the Public Interest AI research group. His research  focuses on safeguarding public values in AI systems.

Hadi employs a mix of empirical, computational, and design methods to make sense of the digital ecosystem, and subsequently to propose technical and institutional mechanisms to better safeguard values. Example values include privacy, access, freedom, and transparency. Hadi has published on a number of these topics, including a series of studies on the impact of privacy laws worldwide.

Hadi collaborates closely with researchers and experts from various disciplines and backgrounds, including civil society, industry, and government. He is a member of the AI & Society Lab (at HIIG), the Access Request Advocacy & Research Network (at VU Brussels), and the Open Tech Fund advisory council, among others.

Previously, Hadi worked at TU Delft, where he also received his PhD degree on the topic of “Analyzing Security Metrics for Public Policy”. In 2016, he was a visiting researcher at Princeton University’s Center for IT Policy. Prior to his research career, he worked as a software engineer and entrepreneur in Tehran.

  • AI · Society & culture

    Public Interest AI

    The “Public Interest AI” research group is developing an operationalisable analysis procedure that will allow Public Interest to be defined in an AI-specific way...

Journal articles and conference proceedings

Asghari., H., Hewett, F., & Züger, T. (2023). On the Prevalence of Leichte Sprache on the German Web. ACM WebSci ’23 Conference Proceedings, 147-152. DOI: 10.1145/3578503.3583599 Publication details

Zuiderveen Borgesius, F., Asghari, H., Bangma, N., & Hoepman, J. (2023). The GDPR’s Rules on Data Breaches: Analysing Their Rationales and Effects. SCRIPTed, 20(2), 352-382. DOI: 10.2218/scrip.20.2.2023.8979 Publication details

Asghari, H., Stolberg-Larsen, J., & Züger, T. (2022). Approximating Accessibility of Regions from Incomplete Volunteered Data. CHI EA '22: Extended Abstracts of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1-6. DOI: 10.1145/3491101.3519706 Publication details

Züger, T., & Asghari, H. (2022). AI for the public. How public interest theory shifts the discourse on AI. AI & Society. DOI: 10.1007/s00146-022-01480-5 Publication details

Asghari, H. & Hewett, F. (2022). HIIG at GermEval 2022: Best of Both Worlds Ensemble for Automatic Text Complexity Assessment. Proceedings of the GermEval 2022 Workshop on Text Complexity Assessment of German Text, 15–20. Publication details

Asghari, H., van Biemen, Thomas, & Warnier, Martijn (2021). Amplifying Privacy: Scaling Up Transparency Research Through Delegated Access Requests. 5th Workshop on Technology and Consumer Protection (ConPro ’21). Publication details

Mahieu, R., Asghari, H., Parsons, C., van Hoboken, J., Crete-Nishihata, M., Hilts, A., & Anstis, S. (2021). Measuring the Brussels Effect through Access Requests: Has the European General Data Protection Regulation Influenced the Data Protection Rights of Canadian Citizens? Journal of Information Policy, 11, 301-349. DOI: 10.5325/jinfopoli.11.2021.0301 Publication details

Book contributions and chapters

Asghari, H. & Züger, T. (2024). Es gibt keinen Algorithmus gegen Hass – Hate Speech Detection: Über die Chancen und Grenzen der Automatisierung im Kampf gegen Rassismus und Antisemitismus. In M. Adeoso, E. Berendsen, L. Fischer, & D. Schnabel (Eds.), Code & Vorurteil – Über künstliche Intelligenz, Rassismus und Antisemitismus, Edition Bildungsstätte Anne Frank 4 (pp. 49-60). Berlin, Germany:: Verbrecher Verlag. Publication details

Other publications

Hewett, F. & Asghari, H. (2023). Lowering the barriers: Accessible language and “Leichte Sprache” on the German Web. Digital society blog. Publication details

Borgesius, F. Z., & Asghari, H. (2023). Data breaches: Does the GDPR help? Digital society blog. Publication details

Asghari, H., Birner, N., Burchardt, A., Dicks, D., Fassbender, J., Feldhus, N., Hewett, F., Hofmann, V., Kettemann, M. C., Schulz, W., Simon, J., Stolberg-Larsen, J., & Züger, T. (2022). What to explain when explaining is difficult. An interdisciplinary primer on XAI and meaningful information in automated decision-making. HIIG Impact Publication Series. Publication details

Lectures and presentations

The Opportunities of AI in Addressing Human Rights Risks
UN GCD Annual Conference 2023 (Session: Menschenrechte & Arbeitsnormen). UN Global Compact Netzwerk Deutschland (UCD). Humboldt Carré, Berlin, Germany: 07.11.2023 Further information

Hadi Asghari

AI for the Public Interest
Bachelor's Course: "Künstliche Intelligenz als Herausforderung der Demokratie". University of Erfurt. University of Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany: 28.06.2023

Hadi Asghari

On the Prevalence of Leichte Sprache on the German Web
15th ACM Web Science Conference 2023. Association of Computing Machinery. 15th ACM Web Science Conference 2023, Evanston, USA: 30.04.2023

Hadi Asghari

Eine Bestandsaufnahme des CO2-Fußabdrucks von AI: Was wissen wir und wie können wir ihn verringern?
KI Camp 2023. Gesellschaft für Informatik. Factory Berlin Görlitzer Park, Berlin, Germany: 26.04.2023 Further information

Sami Nenno, Hadi Asghari

AI for Sustainability & Sustainable AI
CIFE Master programmes in Global Economic Governance & Public Affairs (GEGPA) and EU Trade & Climate Diplomacy (EUDIPLO). Centre International de Formation Européenne (CIFE). Centre International de Formation Européenne (CIFE), Berlin, Germany: 17.03.2023

Asghari, H., Nenno, S.

Problems of Technology for Society
Ethical, Social, and Legal Foundations of Data Science Bachelors Course. University of Göttingen. University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany: 15.02.2023

Hadi Asghari

Poster Pitch: Are AI standardisation processes inclusive enough to deliver tech that works for everyone?
European Think Tank Conference 2022. German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP). European Think Tank Conference 2022, Berlin, Germany: 20.09.2022 Further information

Hadi Asghari

AI in Society and Economy
Seminar. Digital Business University Berlin. Digital Business University Berlin, Berlin, Germany: 18.08.2022

Hadi Asghari

Approximating Accessibility of Regions from Incomplete Volunteered Data
CHI EA '22. Association of Computing Machinery. Online, New Orleans, USA: 03.05.2022 Further information

Hadi Asghari

Amplifying Privacy: Scaling Up Transparency Research Through Delegated Access Requests
5th Workshop on Technology and Consumer Protection (ConPro ’21) (Session: Amplifying Privacy: Scaling Up Transparency Research Through Delegated Access Requests). ConPro ’21. Online, San Francisco, USA: 27.05.2021 Further information

Hadi Asghari

AI in the public interest: What does this mean and how can be build it?
Gesellschaft für Informatik: #KICamp21. Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V.. Online, Berlin, Germany: 24.02.2021 Further information

Theresa Züger, Hadi Asghari, Freya Hewett, Judith Fassbender, Jakob Stolberg-Larsen

Moderation of workshops and panels

AI Systems for the Public Interest
KI 2023 – 46th German Conference on Artificial Intelligence. Gesellschaft für Informatik (GI). Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin, Berlin, Germany: 26.09.2023 Further information

Theresa Züger, Hadi Asghari

Automatisation and autonomy
Infrastructures of Autonomy. Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Brandenburg Center for Media Studies. Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Berlin, Germany: 24.11.2022 Further information

Hadi Asghari

Organisation of events

AI-systems for the public interest
AoIR 2023: AI-systems for the public interest. 18.10.2023. Sonesta Hotel, Philadelphia, USA (International) Further information

Hadi Asghari, Freya Hewett, Judith Faßbender, Theresa Züger

Lunch Talk | The theory of artificial immutability: protecting algorithmic groups under anti-discrimination law
with attending Vip: Sandra Wachter. 27.06.2023. Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Berlin, Germany (International) Further information

Daniel Pothmann, Sarah Spitz, Hadi Asghari

Hackathon. Entwicklung von KI-Erklärungsmodellen
From 03.02.2023 to 03.02.2023. Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Berlin, Germany. Co-Organised by: neuland & gestalten (National) Further information

Daniel Pothmann, Sarah Spitz, Hadi Asghari, Sami Nenno, Freya Hewett, Judith Faßbender, Theresa Züger

AI and the Public Interest
13.06.2022. Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Berlin, Germany (International) Further information

Hadi Asghari, Sami Nenno, Freya Hewett, Judith Faßbender, Theresa Züger

Nominations

Think Tank School of the German Council on Foreign Relations.

Hadi Asghari, Theresa Züger

Participation as expert

'The right of access of personal data in the EU. A Legal and empirical analysis' Public PhD defense of René Mahieu Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Law, Science, Technology & Society Research Group. Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Law, Science, Technology & Society Research Group, Brussels, Belgium: 24.04.2023 Further information

Hadi Asghari

12. Indo-German Frontiers of Engineering Symposium (INDOGFOE) Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Bremen, Germany: 29.09.2022 Further information

Hadi Asghari

Hadi Asghari Profilbild

Position

Researcher: AI & Society Lab

RESEARCH PROGRAMME / GROUP

Expertise

Topics: AI, Public Interest AI, AI & Data Protection