Early Career Research Fellow in Ethics in AI and Law

Applications are invited for a full-time Early Career Research Fellowship in Ethics in AI, with a focus on AI and Law. The position is associated with a research fellowship at Oriel College, Oxford. This position will be especially suitable for a candidate with a strong research background in law who wishes to undertake a research project that explores how AI technologies should be subjected to legal regulation or integrated into the workings of the legal system. This position presents an outstanding opportunity for career advancement in a relatively new field of research. The post is fixed-term for three years.

The University of Oxford has launched a major initiative in Ethics in AI, leading to the establishment of an Institute for Ethics in AI, to be based in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, under the aegis of the Faculty of Philosophy. The Institute will build upon the University’s world-class capabilities in the humanities to lead the study of the ethical implications of artificial intelligence and other new computing technologies. The Research Fellow will pursue their own research under the supervision of the Institute for Ethics in AI Director, Professor John Tasioulas. The successful candidate will have the opportunity for interdisciplinary engagement and collaborative research.

The successful candidate will be expected to provide evidence of exceptional potential for research and publication. She or he need not have already carried out research on ethics in AI, but must demonstrate expertise in Law, with evidence of the potential to undertake significant research which will contribute to the work of the Institute for Ethics in AI.

Among other duties, the successful applicant will be expected to undertake a limited amount of teaching for the Institute and the college.

Successful candidates will hold a doctorate in the field of Law, or will at least have submitted a doctoral dissertation for examination by the advertised closing date for this position. (Candidates who have not yet been awarded their doctorate should provide the date their thesis was submitted in their supporting statement.) They will be expected to provide evidence of an outstanding academic research record, appropriate to their career stage. Also essential are excellent research skills, and the ability to work independently and without close supervision.

Applications for this post must be made online and should be submitted no later than 12 noon on 4 April 2025.

Interviews are expected to take place in May 2025.