Prof. Dr. Aniko Hannak
DSI Professor and Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science at the University of Zurich.
Aniko's research bridges social computing, algorithmic systems, and fairness – investigating how large-scale online platforms such as search engines, job sites, and online marketplaces shape the information and opportunities people encounter. Her core insight: when algorithms learn from human data, they risk amplifying the very biases they inherit.
To tackle this, Aniko pioneered a methodology called Algorithmic Auditing – a systematic approach to uncovering the hidden impacts of online systems. Her audits have examined the filter bubble effect on Google Search, online price discrimination, and inequalities in digital labor markets.
In a world where algorithms increasingly decide what we see, buy, and who gets hired, her work is a critical check on the systems that shape our lives.