PhD position - AI DeMoS Lab

Improve our practice of democracy in the age of AI Develop AI systems for a meaningful democratic engagement.

Job description

TU Delft is a top tier university and is exceedingly active in the field of Artificial intelligence. AI DeMoS Lab is one of the Delft AI labs, which focuses on developing AI for democracy. The lab aims to investigate how AI facilitates our practice of democracy and how we can facilitate the responsible design and use of AI systems for a meaningful democratic engagement. The AI DeMoS Lab intends to contribute to the development of multimodal AI systems that would foster deliberation, critical engagement of citizens and enable them to take informed decisions under the conditions of deep uncertainty that these same AI developments bring forth.

AI DeMoS Lab has a PhD position focused on investigating collective engagements with AI systems which are designed for public use (e.g., mortgage allocation systems, online proctoring systems, surveillance systems, among others). By using speculative design and related approaches, the project aims to broaden the engagement space with such AI systems and stimulate a societal debate on the role AI systems already play and should play in public life. The project is a collaboration between the Industrial Design Engineering and Technology, Policy and Management faculties, aiming to harvest from various intellectual fields of STS, philosophy, and/or media studies, and bring them together with speculative/critical design approaches to imagine alternative and more responsible ways to design public algorithmic systems.

AI DeMoS Lab is a TU Delft Artificial Intelligence Lab. Artificial Intelligence, Data and Digitalisation are becoming increasingly important when looking for answers to major scientific and societal challenges. In a TU Delft AI Lab, experts in ‘the fundamentals of AI technology’ along with experts in ‘AI challenges’ run a shared lab. As a PhD, you will work with at least two academic members of staff and three other PhD candidates. In total TU Delft will establish 24 TU Delft AI Labs, where 48 Tenure Trackers and 96 PhD candidates will have the opportunity to push the boundaries of science using AI. Each team is driven by research questions which arise from scientific and societal challenges, and contribute to the development and execution of domain specific education. You will receive a 5-year contract and will be deployed for AI-related education for the usual teaching effort for PhD candidates in the faculty plus an additional 20%. The extra year compared to the usual 4-year contract accommodates the 20% additional AI, Data and Digitalisation education related activities. All team members have many opportunities for self-development. You will be a member of the thriving TU Delft AI Lab community that fosters cross-fertilization between talents with different expertise and disciplines.

Requirements

For the position we expect you to have:

• Completed a relevant MSc degree in a field relevant to PhD research, such as design, human-computer interaction, Science and Technology Studies, media studies
• An affinity with teaching and guiding students
• Proficiency in expressing yourself verbally and in writing in English
• The ability to work in a team and take initiative

We would also recommend to have:

• In depth knowledge of speculative design or related approaches (preferably demonstrated with a portfolio, artworks, or professional media content); and an affinity with or interest in Philosophy (of Technology), Science and Technology Studies, or related fields.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis.

Conditions of employment

AI DeMoS Lab doctoral candidates will be offered a 5-year period of employment in principle and will be deployed for AI-related education for the usual teaching effort for PhD candidates in the faculty plus an additional 20%, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 3,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met. The extra year compared to the usual 4-year contract accommodates the 20% additional AI, Data and Digitalisation education related activities. All team members have many opportunities for self-development. You will be a member of the thriving TU Delft AI Lab community that fosters cross-fertilization between talents with different expertise and disciplines.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2770 per month in the first year to € 3539 in the fourth year. In the 5th year, you will receive a temporary monthly allowance based on the gross difference between salary scale P, step 3 and salary scale 10, step 3.

As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Industrial Design Engineering

Matching the evolution of people with the speed of the revolution of technology. This is the focus of the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering (IDE). Delft designers act as a bridge between advances in technology and the needs of people, organisations and society to create products, services and systems with purpose.

IDE is a leader in design research across the application areas of mobility, sustainability and health, as well as its development of design tools and methods. A 350-strong research team and over 2,000 students work together in our inspiring hall, labs and studios.

In close cooperation with industry, the public sector and NGOs we rehearse possible futures in research and education to design for a complex future.