Responsible IT
Team and contact
Meet our research group team. Learn more about their expertise and get in touch.
Meet us
Pascal Wiggers
Professor of Responsible IT
As of April 1, 2024, Pascal Wiggers is the professor of the Responsible IT research group at the Faculty of Digital Media & Creative Industries (FDMCI). Before this role, he was an associate professor of Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI), a part of the Responsible IT research group. In this position, Wiggers focused on developing AI based on public values, considering the individual, social, and ethical consequences of AI.
Mario Fuckner
Lecturer Researcher
Marcio Fuckner is a senior researcher at the Responsible IT research group at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and a lecturer on the Master of Applied AI programme. His research focuses on developing methodologies for building responsible AI systems, such as quantifying bias in speech recognition systems and analysing echo chambers and filter bubbles in recommendation systems. Marcio obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees in Software Engineering and Computer Science from the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in Brazil and his PhD in Computer Science from the Sorbonne University Alliance UTC in France. He collaborates with research and education partners, government agencies and media organisations to develop AI in an ethical and responsible manner.
Maarten Groen
Lecturer Researcher
Maarten Groen, MSc, is a lecturer and researcher at the Visual Methodologies and Responsible IT research groups at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, focusing on the collection and analysis of urban data. He develops tools and methods for collecting and analysing data in collaboration with residents, and works on projects such as Urban Belonging, which focuses on citizen empowerment, and Building for Well-being, which analyses urban areas using image recognition and street view photos. As a lecturer at HBO-ICT, Maarten coordinates projects in which students develop web applications for clients. With a background in Information Studies (Human Centred Multimedia) from the University of Amsterdam, he enjoys delving into technological innovations, with a critical eye on their social impact.
Sophia Horsman
Lecturer Researcher
Sophie Horsman is a lecturer-researcher in Responsible AI at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and a researcher within the Responsible IT research group, where she focuses on AI ethics. She also teaches the Philosophy and Ethics course in the Applied AI master's programme. Sophie holds an interdisciplinary Bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences from Utrecht University and obtained a Master's degree in Philosophy with honours from Radboud University and a Research Master's degree in Artificial Intelligence from Utrecht University. During her studies, she did internships at TNO, the Rathenau Institute and the Digital Society School, where she worked on ethical decision-making in AI projects. She is currently working on practice-oriented research, such as the DRAMA project, which investigates bias in automatic speech recognition. Driven by her broad background and interest in social issues, Sophie strives to conduct research that has a positive impact on society.
Rick Kersbergen
Lecturer Researcher
Rick van Kersbergen, MSc, is a lecturer at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and a researcher within the Responsible IT research group. His research focuses on translating the theory of responsible artificial intelligence into practical applications that improve society. He developed a Responsible AI Process Model, which translates theory into concrete steps for the responsible use of AI, and elaborated this in an interactive Visual Studio Code plug-in. Rick graduated with honours in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in ICT from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and pursued his passion for AI with a Master of Science in Applied Artificial Intelligence in 2023. Driven by an intrinsic motivation to protect people and nature from the potential disadvantages of AI, he combines applied research and education to steer AI developments in a positive and responsible direction.
Saskia Robben
Researcher in Care and New Technology (Care4Balance) and Senior Lecturer in the Applied AI Learning Community
Saskia Robben, MSc, is a researcher and project leader at the Digital Life research group at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, specialising in healthcare and technology. Her research focuses on developing analysis methods using environmental and wearable sensors to measure health at home and innovative interfaces to make this data understandable for different users. Driven by the desire to use Artificial Intelligence to improve healthcare, she works on projects such as The Interactive Living Room, a prototype that supports people with dementia living at home in their daily routine. Saskia also teaches at HBO-ICT, where she lectures on AI algorithms, data analysis and healthcare technology. She obtained her master's degree in Artificial Intelligence/Cognitive Science at Radboud University Nijmegen and has experience in social robotics and diagnostic systems.
Yuri Westplat
Lecturer Researcher
Yuri Westplat is a designer and lecturer-researcher at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, specialising in Human-AI Interaction and creative research methods such as Research Through Design. He heads the Responsible IT Workshop, where he facilitates collaborations between researchers, educational programmes, the creative industry and the government. As an experienced lecturer and innovator, he develops and coordinates transdisciplinary programmes such as the minors Disinformation and Misinformation and AI for Creative Thinkers and Designers. Yuri teaches Communication and Multimedia Design and coordinates AI-related courses such as Human-Agent Interaction. With over 25 years of experience as a digital product designer and entrepreneur, he specialises in smart, data-driven digital products and has co-founded two technology start-ups. Yuri holds a BA in Publishing & Bookselling from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and an MA in Design from the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam.
Hans de Zwart
Lecturer Researcher
Hans de Zwart is a researcher and lecturer at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, specialising in the ethics and philosophy of technology. He is co-founder and board member of the Racism and Technology Centre and sits on the board of directors of the Centre for the Advancement of Infrastructural Imagination (CAII). He was previously director of the digital civil rights organisation Bits of Freedom, where he advocated for freedom of communication and privacy on the internet. With a background as Senior Innovation Adviser at Shell, Moodle consultant and physical education teacher, Hans operates at the intersection of technology and social developments, with a focus on civil rights and open technology. In addition to his work, he is a lover of philosophy, free software, design, juggling, and books, and maintains a newsletter and search engine dedicated to The Big Lebowski.
Merel Noorman
Associate lecturer in Responsible IT
Merel Noorman investigates how artificial intelligence can be developed and deployed in a responsible manner. She focuses on the democratisation of AI and the question of how society can maintain control over increasingly complex technologies. With her interdisciplinary background in AI, ethics and governance, she connects technological developments with social values and democratic control, with a particular focus on applications in public services, media and the creative industry.
