OEIAC-UdG invites applications for a prestigious fellowship dedicated to advancing research and innovation in the responsible use and application of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. This fellowship offers a unique opportunity for scholars to work at the forefront of AI ethics, policy, and methodology, contributing to the development of transformative solutions for real-world challenges. Fellows will engage in groundbreaking projects, including but not limited to: 1) pioneering methods to incorporate principles of fairness, accountability, and transparency into AI-driven decision support systems, particularly in high-stakes or high-risk applications such as healthcare, finance, and justice; 2) designing evidence-based policies that foster the responsible and ethical adoption of AI technologies across varied sociocultural settings; and 3) conducting sociotechnical impact assessments to holistically evaluate the ethical, social, and economic implications of data-driven and AI-powered systems.
This position is ideal for candidates with a robust academic background in fields such as data science, statistics, economics, or computational sociology, who are passionate about leveraging interdisciplinary approaches to ensure AI systems are safe, trustworthy, and equitable. Successful candidates will not only contribute to advancing the state-of-the-art in AI ethics and governance but will also have the opportunity to collaborate with leading experts across academia, industry, and policy-making bodies. Fellows will play a key role in shaping the global discourse on responsible AI, driving innovative solutions to ensure AI technologies benefit all of society while minimizing risks.
Key Responsibilities1:
- Develop and implement methodologies to embed principles of fairness, accountability, and transparency into AI-driven decision support systems, particularly in high-risk domains such as healthcare, finance, and criminal justice, ensuring compliance with ethical standards and regulatory frameworks.
- Conduct cutting-edge research and design robust frameworks for evidence-based AI policies that address ethical challenges and promote the responsible adoption of AI technologies across diverse sociocultural settings, considering regional and global contexts.
- Perform sociotechnical impact assessments to analyse and address the ethical, social, and economic implications of AI and data systems, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate their influence on equity, inclusivity, and societal well-being.
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams of researchers, policymakers, industry experts, and community stakeholders to design and implement innovative solutions that balance technological advancement with ethical and societal considerations.
- Contribute to the development of interdisciplinary educational materials and workshops to promote awareness and best practices in responsible AI development among academic, industry, and public audiences.
1 Candidates are not expected to address all these items simultaneously; these represent the broader research directions of the role.
Qualifications:
- PhD in Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Economics, Computational Sociology, or related fields, with a strong focus on ethical, sociotechnical, or policy dimensions of AI.
- Strong quantitative and qualitative research skills, with experience in sociotechnical analysis, policy evaluation, or the ethical assessment of emerging technologies.
- Interest in interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly at the interface of AI, ethics, policy, and sociocultural studies, with a proven ability to engage with diverse teams and stakeholders.
Principal Investigator: Albert Sabater Coll, Director of OEIAC
Email: albert.sabater@udg.edu
Web: https://oeiac.cat/en/
Keywords: Responsible AI Systems; Ethical AI Development; Fairness, Accountability, Transparency (FAT); Sociotechnical Impact Assessment; AI Policy and Governance.
Infrastructure: The Observatory for Ethics in Artificial Intelligence of Catalonia is based at the Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences in Campus Montilivi at the University of Girona, a public higher education institution that strives for quality teaching and research, and which offers a prime location and state-of-the-art facilities.
