About us:

The position is based at LMU München within the EIC-funded European project EMERGE. This interdisciplinary project brings together computer scientists, roboticists, and cognitive scientists from leading institutions, including Pisa, Delft, and Bristol. Our LMU team, consisting of Ophelia Deroy, Bahador Bahrami, Jurgis Karpus, and Nadine Meertens, collaborates closely with Davide Bacciu’s group (Pisa), Cosimo Della Santina’s lab (Delft), and Sabine Hauert’s team (Bristol).

We are looking for you:

Postdoctoral Researcher in Ethics and AI (m/f/x)

in Munich

Your tasks and responsibilities:

In this role, you will contribute to the development of an ethics toolkit that identifies ethical risks and opportunities for collaborative awareness across agents. Your key tasks will include:

• Designing and conducting experimental psychology studies on ethical judgments and interactions, contrasting single and swarm AI agents.
• Ensuring rigorous experimental standards (control conditions, large datasets, statistical robustness).
• Writing up findings for peer-reviewed publications in relevant fields (ethics, cognitive science, AI & robotics).
• Developing a web-based application to make the ethics toolkit accessible and usable.
• Collaborating with computer scientists and roboticists to integrate findings into AI and swarm systems.
• A teaching load of two hours per semester.

Your qualifications:

We are looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher with the following qualifications:

Essential:

• PhD in a relevant field (Cognitive Science, Experimental Psychology, AI Ethics, Philosophy of Mind, Human-Robot Interaction, or a related discipline).
• Experience with experimental psychology methods (study design, data collection, analysis).
• Strong statistical skills (R, Python, or similar).
• Experience with developing interactive tools (e.g., web applications, simulations, or decision-support tools).
• Proficiency in programming (Python, JavaScript, or another relevant language).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Desirable:

• Experience working with AI or robotic systems.
• Familiarity with ethical risk assessments in AI development.
• Knowledge of human-AI collaboration research.
• Experience in interdisciplinary collaboration with engineers or computer scientists.

Benefits:

We offer a full-time, 12-month postdoctoral position in a dynamic European research project at one of Germany’s leading universities.

• Salary according to TV-L (up to E13), with full social benefits.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration with leading European teams in cognitive science, AI, and robotics.
• Opportunities for conference travel, publications, and career development.
• Flexible working arrangements, including potential remote work.
• Access to LMU’s training programs, networking events, and international research exchange opportunities.

The position is funded for 12 months, with a potential extension depending on project needs and funding.

Also possible in a part-time capacity.

Contact:

If you have any questions about the vacancy, please contact the chair's office by e-mail.

Please send applications with the usual documents (certificates, CV, teaching portfolio) by e-mail (in one PDF) to the Chair's Office by April 30, 2025. Please send two letters of recommendation directly to the chair's office: office.deroy@lrz.uni-muenchen.de.

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