Assistant Professor with tenure track in Interaction design specialized in Interactive AI
Application deadline:
15 January, 2021
As part of a nationwide effort funded by WASP-HS, the Division of Interaction Design at Chalmers is now seeking an interdisciplinary Assistant Professor to help us build a new research group on the topic of Interactive AI – Ethics and aesthetics of human-machine interaction in art, music, and games.
Information about the division and the department
The Interaction Design division (IxD) is a multidisciplinary division at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology and Gothenburg University. Research at the division covers areas such as interaction design, aesthetics and ethics of computational technology, game design, information visualization, intelligent user interfaces, interaction in music and the arts, and tangible user interfaces. It is responsible for approximately 20 courses – mainly at the Master’s level – and for two Master of Engineering or Science programmes: Interaction Design & Technologies at Chalmers, and Game Design & Technology at Gothenburg University. The IxD division currently consists of twelve tenured professors, associate professors and senior lecturers, six PhD students, and two adjunct lecturers.
The division is located at the Lindholmen Campus and is part of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), which is a joint department between Chalmers University of Technology and Gothenburg University. The department has around 270 employees from over 30 countries. Our research has a wide span, from theoretical foundations to applied systems development. The department provides high quality education at Bachelor’s, Master’s and graduate levels, offering over 150 courses each year. We also have extensive national and international collaborations with academia, industry and society. For more information about the department, see https://www.chalmers.se/en/departments/cse/.
The CSE department is now expanding the IxD division faculty and is seeking an assistant professor with tenure track working within the topic of Interactive AI – Ethics and aesthetics of human-machine interaction in art, music, and games.
By aesthetics we here refer to qualities of creative outcome of AI algorithms and how interactivity and interaction design could play a role in its control, and to properties of interactive human-machine creative processes. With ethics, we refer to agency (real and perceived) of interactive and creative AI, strongly connected to authorship, intention, trust, and authenticity. But also to how and why interactive AI in art, music and games should and could be implemented, and the implications thereof.
Art, music and games are ideal test beds for interactive AI, as they involve rich and meaningful interaction beyond the usual computer interfaces, and there are long traditions of applying AI to creative tasks in these domains.
The position is funded by the national research program The Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program – Humanities and Society (WASP-HS, https://wasp-hs.org/), as part of a nationwide effort to support eleven new research groups for studies on the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.
Included in the position is a starting package with financing for one PhD student and one postdoc, according to the agreement with WASP-HS.
Major responsibilities
You are expected to conduct excellent research and help build a new research group within the topic of Interactive AI – Ethics and aesthetics of human-machine interaction in art, music, and games.
You will also:
• Develop new research projects, and collaborate on existing research projects
• Co-supervise PhD students and postdoctoral researchers
• Apply for external research grants as principal investigator
• Collaborate with local and international researchers and actively participate in relevant research communities
• Participate in joint departmental and university-wide undertakings
The position includes 20% teaching in courses on relevant topics. Teaching responsibilities may also include supervising students at bachelor and master levels. The teaching will be done as part of an experienced teaching team.
Position summary
Each new Assistant Professor at Chalmers is a strategic recruitment for us. The appointment as Assistant Professor is a four-year entry level faculty position with tenure-track whereby the employee has the opportunity to acquire both pedagogical and scientific qualifications. An Assistant Professor is expected to improve their ability to formulate and solve scientific problems, to publish scientific articles, and to develop abilities in teaching and supervision, by means of both practical training and independent study. One assessment will be conducted after two years, and an additional assessment for granting tenure will be conducted in conjunction with the period of appointment reaching its conclusion. More information here.
Qualifications
The position theme of ethics and aesthetics of interactive AI in art, music and design is by definition interdisciplinary. It combines the fields of advanced technology in the form of deep understanding of AI theory and algorithms, computer science and interface technologies, with fine arts, music and games, which requires cultural awareness, knowledge in ethics and aesthetics, and practical experience from some or all of these fields.
To qualify for the position of Assistant Professor, you must have a doctoral degree in a relevant field, and the degree should not be older than seven years, unless due to parental leave, military service or similar. You are expected to have some experience with teaching, and to demonstrate good potential to excel within research and education.
Additionally, you should have
• Conducted research at the highest level, demonstrated by e.g. publications in relevant leading conferences and journals
• Demonstrated experience of interdisciplinary research
• Practical and theoretical knowledge in art, music and/or game design
• Demonstrated pedagogical skills
• Demonstrated ability to establish national and international collaborations
Demonstrated ability to attract external funding is meritorious. The position requires sound verbal and written communication skills in English, as all of our Masters programs are taught in English. As Chalmers undergraduate education is held in Swedish, and Swedish is the administrative working language at the university, Chalmers offers Swedish courses for non-Swedish speaking staff.
Chalmers continuously strives to be an attractive employer. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.
Our offer to you
Chalmers offers a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the dynamic city of Gothenburg.
Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees.Application procedure
The application should be marked with Ref 20200550 and written in English. The application should be sent electronically and be attached as pdf-files, as below:
CV: (Please name the document as: CV, Family name, Ref. number)
• CV, include complete list of publications
• Previous teaching and pedagogical experiences
• Other, for example previous employments or leadership qualifications and positions of trust
• Two references that we can contact
• Certificate
• Documents that can verify your teaching experience.
Personal letter: (Please name the document as: Personal letter, Family name, Ref. number)
1-3 pages where you:
• Introduce yourself
• Describe your previous research fields and main research results
• Describe your future goals and future research focus
Publications:
• Copies of your most relevant publications in full format (maximum of five publications). It is a good idea to attach the files as a PDF or compress them into a Zip file.
• Copies of a maximum of five other publications that substantiate your other qualifications (for example, educational publications and popular science articles).
Please use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form. The files may be compressed (zipped).
Application deadline: 15 January 2021
For questions, please contact:
Docent and Head of division, Palle Dahlstedt, Interaction Design, palle@chalmers.se
Phone: +46 31 772 8207