Hadi Asghari
I am a senior researcher at the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society. My research focuses on the development of public interest AI as well as safeguarding public values in AI systems.
Digital technologies hold great promise for solving the scientific and societal challenges of the 21st century. But a large body of evidence shows that new technologies can create their own problems and threaten fundamental rights, if not designed or governed well. I research this intersection.
In my research, I mix web measurements, causal data science, and socio-political theories to make sense of the digital world. I then explore technical and institutional mechanisms that facilitate the safeguarding of public values—such as access, cooperation, privacy, security, sustainability, and transparency. I have published on a variety of these topics, in collaboration with experts from diverse disciplines and backgrounds.
Previously, I worked at TU Delft, where I obtained my PhD degree in Information Security Economics. In 2016, I was a visiting research scholar at Princeton University’s Center for IT Policy. Prior to my research career, I worked for several years as a software engineer and entrepreneur in Tehran.