Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods

© Bernd Brundert

Dr. Dr. Pascal Langenbach

Senior Research Fellow

+49 228 91416-171

3.9

Research Focus

Public Law, Empirical Legal Studies, Experimental Law and Economics

Academic Career

Since 2018 Senior Research Fellow, MPI for Research on Collective Goods
2020-2025 Member of Die Junge Akademie (German National Young Academy)
2018 Second State Exam in Law, North Rhine-Westphalia
2017 Dr. rer. pol. (Doctor in Economics), University of Jena
2016 Dr. iur. (Doctor in Law), University of Bonn (awarded the Otto Hahn Medal of the Max Planck Society 2017)
2015–2018 Legal Clerkship
2013 Visiting Researcher, Yale Law School
2011–2015 Research Fellow, MPI for Research on Collective Goods (IMPRS Uncertainty)
2011 First State Exam in Law, Higher Regional Court of Cologne
2008–2009 Fellow, “Studienkolleg zu Berlin” (German National Academic Foundation, Hertie Foundation)
2005–2011 Studies of Law and History in Bonn, Berlin (Humboldt), Paris (Sciences Po), and Cologne

Ach, Mensch! - Podcast: „Können Maschinen fair entscheiden, Pascal Langenbach?“

How Does the Computerization of Decision Making Affect Perceptions of Fairness?

How Does the Computerization of Decision Making Affect Perceptions of Fairness?

Algorithms and artificial intelligence are playing an increasing role in public decision making. In this video, PASCAL LANGENBACH analyzes the ways in which this aspect of digitalization affects perceptions of fairness. Looking at the contexts of predictive policing, school admissions and refugee location, Langenbach examines four different procedural models ranging from situations where human actors decide alone to scenarios in which human actors are not able to overturn decisions presented by the algorithm. The findings show that people perceive the fairest model as one in which humans come to a decision together with an algorithm, but remain highly involved in the decision-process. The research shows that computerization can help to bring about cost savings in public decision making but further studies are required to show how this can work more efficiently in practice.

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