Markus Langer

Markus Langer

How do we, as humans, stay in control of AI? That question drives my research at the intersection of psychology and artificial intelligence — from human oversight of AI systems and AI-assisted decisions to the future of work. I am also researching what the use of AI does to us: how it changes our thinking and feeling, our collaboration and our relationships.

Current

  • My book Der KI bist du egal – Warum wir uns Maschinen anvertrauen und was das mit uns macht will be published in German by Kösel in February 2027.
  • If you are interested in how AI changes psychological demands at work, our white paper some answers: Langer and Kluge (2026).
  • The call for papers for the special issue “The Generative Workplace” at Personnel Psychology is open — contributions are welcome.

Overview

My research centres on human oversight of AI and on AI-assisted decision-making, on the future of work with AI, and on how AI changes demands and resources in the workplace — studied in application fields such as personnel selection, medicine and law. The effects of AI have to be judged from several perspectives: that of the people who work with these systems, and that of the people who are subject to AI-based decisions. Inseparable from this is the question of what the use of such systems does to us: to what we still trust ourselves to do, to how we work together, and to how we treat one another.

One idea runs through all of it: responsibility. Machines can take over tasks, but responsibility stays with people, and that is the central difference which remains even as AI systems become ever more capable. Responsible AI design means, to me, building and deploying technology in a way that allows people to actually take that responsibility.

Because none of this can be solved from within a single discipline, I work in interdisciplinary teams with computer science, ethics and law. My aim is to position psychology as a central discipline for the good development of AI — in teaching, in science communication, and in advising business and policy.

A fuller account is under Research and Publications.

I regularly give interviews and talks and work at the interface with policy, among others for the European Commission and German federal ministries. An overview is under Public Engagement.

Supporting early career researchers is a central motivation of my work; more on that under Teaching and Supervision. My awards, service to the research community and editorships are under Awards and Service. My career stages, education and projects are in the CV.