Fernanda Sauca

research associate

Fernanda is a Research Associate and PhD candidate at the Professorship of Societal Computing at TUM. She co-leads the Data-Driven Transformative Impact project — a joint research project between TUM and WWF — and manages the Civic Machines Lab at the TUM Think Tank, an initiative advancing more democratic and accountable approaches to AI and digital technologies.

Her research interests sit at the intersection of political economy and technology policy, drawing on a background in Political Science (B.A.) and Politics and Technology (M.Sc.). She's particularly interested in how digital technologies concentrate or distribute power, and what it means to govern them—and deploy them—in the public interest.

Related Projects

The Civic Machines Lab explores the full lifecycle of artificial intelligence, from the semiconductors powering computation to the algorithms shaping human experience.
Situated within the TUM Think Tank, the lab views AI as a socio-technical system rather than a purely technical challenge.
By integrating perspectives from computer science, social sciences, and public policy, the Civic Machines Lab aims to shape technologies that are democratic, sustainable, and globally inclusive.

Lab

Tracing the evolution of digital policy

Project

Scaling innovation across NGOs

In collaboration with WWF's Global Innovation Team and the Innovation for Impact Network (IFIN), the Civic Machines Lab is developing a validated framework and AI-powered coaching tool to help NGO project teams design, scale, and measure innovation more effectively.

Project

Related News

Recap

Reimagining Online Discourse

Keynotes, panel discussions, mini-workshops, and networking breaks brought together diverse stakeholders from academia, civil society, industry, and government for the third edition of the Facilitating Constructive Dialogue Workshop. Together, we explored the latest research on harmful online content and brainstormed actionable strategies to address these pressing challenges.

16. Jan 2025

Recap

Putting Users in Control of Their Social Media Experience

At the TUM Science Hackathon 2023, a team of computer science students took on the challenge of developing a social media platform that provides users with enhanced transparency and control over the content shown in their feed. They discussed what kind of information users need to better understand how content is personalized on social media and drew up ways for users to modify the content shown to them. Based on these ideas, they designed their prototype ‘openLYKE’ – a social media platform which implements additional features for users to tweak the underlying recommendation algorithm.

06. Jun 2023

Partnership with the International Digital Self-Determination Network

As part of this collaboration, members of the HfP contributed to a co-organized conference on digital self-determination in June 2022 in collaboration with the Directorate of International Law (DIL) of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs..

05. Jun 2025

Recap

The Content Moderation Lab at the European Observatory of Online Hate training in Berlin

The European Observatory of Online Hate (EOOH) held a two-day training in Berlin, bringing together experts from law, research, civil society, and law enforcement to confront one of today's most urgent challenges: online hate.

Related Outputs

Publication

The Evolution of the G20 Digital Agenda

TUM Think Tank is part of global team delivering landmark G20 digital agenda analysis

11. Mar 2026
Discussion Paper

Expert recommendations for strengthening the global semiconductor supply chain

Insights from a two-day interdisciplinary workshop hosted by the Civic Machines Lab

10. Dec 2025
Noteworthy

The role of genAI during the 'super election year' 2024

A new report by Dr. Amélie Hennemann-Heldt examines the nuanced impact of generative AI in elections, highlighting both risks and opportunities. While concerns over AI-driven interference were high in 2024, real-world events suggest a more balanced reality. GenAI can amplify disinformation but also enhance political engagement and accessibility. Regulatory gaps remain, focusing more on risks than ethical applications.

18. Feb 2025

Related Events

Workshop

Joint Effort Against Toxic Online Speech

Bringing together stakeholders from academia, civil society, the public sector, and industry, the third edition of the Facilitating Constructive Dialogue Workshop will focus on tackling issues related to hate speech and mis- and disinformation online. Over the course of a two-day event, we will delve into strategies, tactics, and tools that democratic societies can use to address and combat toxic online speech.

TUM Think Tank
13. Nov 2024

Discussion

AI readiness across mission-driven organizations

Join us for the launch of a new white paper exploring how mission-driven organizations are navigating the rise of AI. Based on interviews with stakeholders across mission-driven organizations, the paper highlights real-world use cases, key challenges, and future directions for AI adoption in the service of social and environmental goals.

TUM Think Tank
03. Jul 2025