Research Fellow in Ethics and Moral Psychology of Conscious Awareness in Artificial Intelligence (EXPIRED)

Applications are invited for a full-time Research Fellow in Ethics and Moral Psychology of Conscious Awareness in Artificial Intelligence to conduct research for the ERC Horizon 2020 research project: Counterfactual Assessment and Valuation for Awareness Architecture (‘CAVAA’). This project is hosted by the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, within the Faculty of Philosophy.

The position is fixed term until 30 September 2026, and the Fellow will work under the supervision of Dr Brian Earp (Senior Research Fellow in Moral Psychology, Oxford Uehiro Centre).  

The Fellow will conduct collaborative research in moral psychology, philosophy, and applied ethics for the CAVAA research project, with a focus on philosophical and experimental moral-psychological studies into bioethically relevant phenomena relating to consciousness, identity, privacy, and (other) ethical values in human-AI interactions across different types of social roles and relationships.     

The Fellow will form an active part of a vibrant Centre and while the main focus is research, will play a vital role in the Centre’s other activities, which include teaching, graduate supervision, support for the Centre’s MSt in Practical Ethics course, outreach and public engagement.  

The postholder is required to hold, or be close to completion of, the degree of PhD (or equivalent qualification) in experimental philosophy, moral psychology, empirical or applied bioethics, or another area closely related to the themes of the project (e.g. philosophy of artificial intelligence).  Also essential are an outstanding research record appropriate to the present stage of career, excellent research skills and knowledge in experimental design, and the ability to critically appraise scientific literature. The Fellow will form an active part of a vibrant Centre and while the main focus is research, will play a vital role in the Centre’s other activities, which include teaching, graduate supervision, support for the Centre’s MSt in Practical Ethics course, outreach and public engagement.  

Applications must be made online via the University jobs website and should be submitted no later than 12 noon (UK time) on Monday 30 October 2023.