Postdoctoral Research Associate/Fellow - Science and Technology Studies

Postdoctoral Research Associate / Fellow (Science and Technology Studies) 

The starting salary will be from £34,610 up to £39,906 for PDRA and from £43,482 for PDRF, depending on knowledge, skills and experience.
 
This full time, ERC funded post is available January 2027 to 31 December 2031. The successful applicant will conduct outstanding, international quality research on the ethics of AI and military decision-making. 

The post

The Faculty is seeking either a Postdoctoral Research Associate or Fellow with expertise in Science and Technology Studies (STS), sociology of science, or a closely related field to work with Professor Anthony King (Principal Investigator) on his ERC Advanced Grant project GENERAL-AI: Artificial Intelligence and Military Decision-Making. 

Applicants must have lived continuously in the UK for at least 5 years and be a national of a NATO member state in order to be eligible to obtain and maintain the required security clearance level for the role. Applications from candidates that do not meet the criteria will not be considered.

Appointment will be conditional upon the successful completion of security vetting.

The Project: GENERAL-AI: Artificial Intelligence and Military Decision-Making 

GENERAL-AI is a five-year European Research Council Advanced Grant investigating how artificial intelligence is transforming military decision-making. The project challenges speculative accounts of AI taking over military command by examining what AI can actually do, how military commanders and their staffs use AI in practice, and the ethical implications of its use in war.

Focusing on AI-enabled high-intensity land warfare, the project combines the sociology of science and technology, ethnographic research, and philosophy and ethics. It investigates the development of military AI by leading technology companies, its use within NATO and European military headquarters, and the legal and ethical frameworks governing its application.
 
The Role:

The successful candidate will undertake research for Work Package 1 (WP1), AI Technology, investigating the development, adaptation and application of artificial intelligence for military purposes.

GENERAL-AI is deliberately empirical. Rather than projecting hypothetical future developments of AI, the project examines the capabilities and limitations of contemporary AI and how it is being developed and adapted for military use. WP1 will therefore investigate how AI technologies are produced, how they acquire particular military functions, and how human expertise and organisational practices shape their development.

Research environment

The successful candidate will be based at the University of Exeter’s Strategy and Security Institute and will be integrated into the Defence Data Research Centre, providing access to an interdisciplinary research environment. The project also has an international academic and practitioner network spanning the UK, Europe and the United States. The postdoctoral researcher will also work closely with the wider GENERAL-AI team under the leadership of Professor Anthony King (PI).

About you

The successful applicant will be able to present information on research progress and outcomes, communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically and prepare proposals and applications to external bodies.

For PDRA applicants, you will possess a relevant PhD (or nearing completion). For PDRF applicants, you will possess a relevant PhD. Applicants will be able to plan, execute and conduct international level research and publish findings in peer reviewed journals and books.

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.

Further information

For further information please contact Professor Anthony King, e-mail a.c.king@exeter.ac.uk or telephone (01392) 723259.

Interviews are expected to take place end of November/Early December. 

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