Prof.in Carolin Wienrich Appointed to the German Consumer Affairs Advisory Council

Professor Carolin Wienrich from the University of Würzburg has been appointed as a member of the Sachverständigenrat für Verbraucherfragen (Consumer Affairs Advisory Council), an independent body advising the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, and Consumer Protection.

The council is composed of nine experts from various disciplines who bring extensive knowledge in consumer science, policy, and protection. Members are appointed for four years and work independently, free from political or institutional directives.

Wienrich, who heads the Group of Psychology of Intelligent Interactive Systems at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) and directs the Human-AI Research Center, brings her expertise in human-computer interaction to the advisory body. Her research focuses on how people perceive and interact with technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, and Spatial Computing — and how these interactions can be designed to be transparent, ethical, and human-centered.

By joining the council, Wienrich will contribute her perspective on how technological innovations shape consumer behavior, rights, and protection. Her appointment underlines the importance of considering psychological and societal aspects in the development of consumer policies in the digital age.

Website of the Council: https://www.svr-verbraucherfragen.de/