The Alan Turing Institute

The Alan Turing Institute is the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence. The Institute is named in honour of the scientist Alan Turing and its mission is to make great leaps in data science and artificial intelligence research in order to change the world for the better.

Public Policy Programme

The Public policy programme works alongside policy makers to explore how data-driven public service provision and policy innovation might solve long running ‘wicked’ policy problems and to develop the ethical foundations for the use of data science and artificial intelligence in policy-making.

Our aim is to contribute to the Institute’s mission – to make great leaps in data science and artificial intelligence research in order to change the world for the better – by developing research, tools, and techniques that have a positive impact on the lives of as many people as possible.

The Public policy programme is looking to recruit a Research Associate in Intercultural AI Ethics for a new project, PATH-AI: Mapping an intercultural Path to Privacy, Agency, and Trust in Human-AI Ecosystems. This project is a cooperation between The Alan Turing Institute, the University of Edinburgh, and RIKEN – Japan’s largest comprehensive research institution.

The project will investigate the values of privacy, agency, and trust from a comparative and intercultural perspective, focussing on the UK and Japan, while also framing the issues surrounding AI ethics and governance in a broader global context. The research will endeavour to enrich and widen understanding of these ideas and to inform policy formation from an intercultural point of view. The project’s final phase will involve the international co-design an AI governance framework. More specifically, the work of the Research Associate will contribute directly to the achievement of the objectives of the PATH-AI project, including:

• Develop a global vision of the AI ethics landscape by taking a multidisciplinary and comparative approach to researching and understanding privacy, agency, and trust
• Integrate cultural, religious, philosophical, psychological, political, sociological, and legal studies (alongside computer and data science) into current and future dialogues on AI ethics
• Build sustainable intercultural networks and communication channels between policy-makers, civil society, research institutions, industry actors, and citizens within and between the UK and Japan
• Lead an international bottom-up co-design process for interculturally-grounded AI governance frameworks and policy recommendations

In carrying out these tasks, the Research Associate will collaborate with researchers in the UK and Japan and will engage with stakeholders from civil society, artistic communities, business enterprises, academia, policy-making and beyond.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Work with the researchers from the Turing’s Public policy programme, the wider academic Turing community, the University of Edinburgh, and RIKEN to develop and/or support research into privacy, agency, and trust in human-AI ecosystems from an intercultural perspective, focusing on the UK and Japan, and explore the influence and role of these values in the social, legal, and economic dimensions of human-AI interaction
• Help to build and maintain an intercultural network of stakeholders from across academia, policy, civil society, industry, and beyond. Help to coordinate stakeholder networks and working groups across both the UK and Japan to:
• Carry out co-design activities to create an AI governance framework that places the interests and values of individuals (as citizens, workers, political beings, etc.) at its heart and produces practical recommendations for future AI governance.
• Establish long-term UK-Japan collaborations to explore the relationship between individuals and AI and the role of traditions in cultural and legal thought in such ecosystems
• Enrich and validate the project’s outputs and ensure their successful uptake and reception by relevant stakeholders
• Collaborate with researchers internationally as appropriate, manage own work, coordinate parallel workstreams and develop work plans to ensure timely delivery of objectives
• Participate in knowledge exchange activities as appropriate. This may include:
• Preparing research outputs that are tailored to a diverse audience, ranging from policy-makers to researchers, civil society and the general public.
• Working with the Communications teams across project partners to ensure that the project’s research is effectively promoted in the mainstream media.
• Working in close coordination with other members of the Public policy programme to maximise the programme’s influence on ongoing policy debates.
• Representing the project and the Turing at external conferences and events.
• Teaching may be required as part of collaboration work

Essential

• A PhD or equivalent experience in philosophy, science and technology studies (STS), sociology, anthropology, psychology, international relations, legal studies, human-computer interaction, or other relevant fields
• Firm understanding of European and East Asian cultural, social, political, legal and/or economic contexts and a demonstrable interest in comparative research on these topics, ideally with a focus on the UK and Japan
• Strong methodological and theoretical foundations and experience working at the intersection of technology and society and a demonstrable interest in co-design methodology, interviews, ethnographic research, and workshop-style stakeholder engagements
• A proven ability to communicate research and advocate policy at multiple levels and to diverse audiencesAn interest in the mission of The Alan Turing Institute and in exploring the real-world impact of cutting-edge technology, especially in an international and intercultural context

Desirable

• Experience in a policy environment, such as international organisations, government agencies, think tanks, or learned societies; or experience in tech companies or consultancies
• International research experience with on-the-ground sociological, cultural, ethnographic, and other research.
• A record of scientific publications, which may include journal articles, book chapters, policy reports / white papers that is appropriate for career stage.
• Demonstrable interest in conducting interdisciplinary research with a focus on the impacts of new technologies on individuals and societies
• Demonstrable interest in AI
• Demonstrably successful experience with network and partnership building and coordination
• Competence in Japanese language

Terms and Conditions

This full-time position is for a fixed time period of 2.5 years, ideally starting 1 July 2020 and continuing until 31 December 2022.

The annual salary is £34,000 - £41,000 per annum.(dependent on skills and experience) plus excellent benefits, including flexible working and family-friendly policies: https://www.turing.ac.uk/work-turing/why-work-turing/employee-benefits

Application procedure

If you are interested in this opportunity, please click the apply button below. You will need to register on the applicant’s portal and complete the application form including your CV, covering letter and contact details for your referees.

Within your covering letter, please include a list of your own publications, as well as a sample piece of writing (a journal article, conference proceeding, book chapter, or equivalent).

If you have questions or would like to discuss the role further with a member of the Institute’s HR Team, please contact them on 0203 862 3394 or 020 3862 3357, or email [email protected].

Closing date for applications: 15 March 2020

Equality Diversity and Inclusion

The Alan Turing Institute is committed to creating an environment where diversity is valued and everyone is treated fairly. In accordance with the Equality Act, we welcome applications from anyone who meets the specific criteria of the post regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy, religion or belief or sexual orientation. Reasonable adjustments are available to support candidates through the application and interview process.

Please note all offers of employment are subject to continuous eligibility to work in the UK and satisfactory pre-employment security screening which includes a DBS Check.