Assistant Professor of Philosophy of AI (EXPIRED)

We are looking for a new colleague who specializes in philosophical issues of AI at the intersection of theoretical philosophy (e.g. epistemology, philosophy of science, philosophy of language, metaphysics, etc.) and practical philosophy (ethics, political philosophy, moral psychology, etc.). We invite applications from philosophers with an interdisciplinary orientation to collaborating with computer scientists, linguists, legal theorists, psychologists, data scientists, etc. on various aspects of AI (e.g. AI safety and alignment, explainable and responsible AI, and the socially disruptive effects of AI technologies). You will conduct research and teach courses in practical and theoretical philosophy at all levels in our philosophy programs, and to contribute to our interdisciplinary degree programs in artificial intelligence.

Qualifications

We are looking for a colleague who:

• has teaching and research expertise in Philosophy of AI;
• holds a completed PhD (prior to appointment) in philosophy or other relevant field;
• has a vision on, and perhaps experience with, ways to link that domain in teaching and/or research with other knowledge domains, based on an articulated teaching and research philosophy (multi-, inter- or transdisciplinarity);
• has an open attitude and is able to switch easily within multidisciplinary and interprofessional teams;
• is interested in team teaching and team science to address social issues.

The candidate appointed to this position will be expected, in due course, to be able to teach in Dutch and English. International candidates will be helped to acquire Dutch language skills in the first two years of their appointment.

Everyone deserves to feel at home at our university. We therefore welcome staff from a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives, regardless of race, skin colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, origin, disability, neurodiversity or age.

About the organization

This position is in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, which hosts the Theoretical Philosophy group and the Ethics Institute. In this position you will be affiliated with both of these groups, participating with colleagues from both theoretical and practical philosophy in educational programmes (including MA Artificial Intelligence, BA Kunstmatige intelligentie, BSc PPE, and MA Applied Ethics) and research collaborations, including the University's the Focus Areas on Human-centered AI and Governing the Digital Society, the Centre for Digital Humanities,  and the inter-university consortium on the Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technology.

More information about this position (and the 8 other Philosophy positions currently being advertised), see FAQ Vacancies in Philosophy - Utrecht University

Offer

We offer a full-time position (1.0 FTE). Upon positive evaluation during the one-year probationary period, the appointment becomes permanent. The allocation is permanently set to 40% research and 60% teaching. Within the 60% for teaching, there is 10% free space that will not be scheduled. The gross salary - depending on previous qualifications and experience - ranges between €3,974 and €6,181 (scale 11-12 according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities) per month for a full-time employment. Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3% per year. In addition, Utrecht University offers excellent secondary conditions, including an attractive retirement scheme, (partly paid) parental leave and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). For more information, please visit working at Utrecht University.