PostDoc in Hybrid Intelligence: to-align-or-not-to-align.

Did you ever wonder how agents perceive the world? Is their world view the same as yours? Before humans and agents can collaborate, they need to agree on their world view. They need to align their world models. Do you accept this challenge?

Your function

In this PD position, you investigate what alignment is required between the world models of agents and humans that collaborate. You also develop communicative strategies for the agent to detect misalignments and take actions to resolve these. Are we talking about the same things, in the same place at the same time and how can we reach consensus? You will develop experiments in which world views are created from observations and communications and different approaches can be tested to align the human and agent variants. The PD will experiment with symbolic techniques using Knowledge Graph representations of the world, Large Language Model encodings of the world and hybrid approaches. For the alignment, a Theory-of-Mind model is needed to deal with variants of the world.

Your duties

  • create AI agents that can create world representations from observations and communication and represent alternative world views in a Theory-of-Mind model
  • detect misalignments across these world views and develop communicative strategies to resolve these
  • create experiments and data to test different approaches
  • carry out your research according to international standards
  • and at least one publication per year in an A or B ranked journal or conference proceedings
  • make your research and experiments publicly available and reproducible
  • teaching Natural Language Processing courses in the bachelor and master programmes

Your profile

  • PhD in Computational Linguistics, Computer Science or Artificial Intelligence
  • At least two of the following:
    • knowledge of and experience with Large Language Models
    • knowledge of and experience with Knowledge Graphs

As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.

We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

What do we offer?

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

  • a starting salary of EUR 4.412,- (scale 10.5) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile Researcher 4
  • a position for at least 0.8 FTE. Your employment contract will initially last 1 year with a possible extension with another year 

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:

  • a full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
  • 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
  • solid pension scheme (ABP)
  • child daycare facilities available on campus
  • good paid parental leave scheme

About us

About the department, institute, project

This project is part of a national gravity project on Hybrid Intelligence. Hybrid Intelligence is the combination of human and machine intelligence, expanding human intellect instead of replacing it. Our goal is to design Hybrid Intelligent systems, an approach to Artificial Intelligence that puts humans at the centre, changing the course of the ongoing AI revolution. You will collaborate with many researchers on key notions such as collaborative, explainable, adaptable and responsible AI and you will have access to lab facilities with technical support. The Hybrid Intelligence project is recruiting about 30 PhDs and PostDocs in total. For more information on the project see www.hybrid-intelligence-centre.nl

The research is further embedded in the Computational Lexicology and Terminology Lab (CLTL), which is one of the world’s leading research groups in Human Language technology. Prof. dr. Piek Vossen, recipient of the NWO Spinoza Prize, heads the group of international researchers that are working on ground-breaking projects, among which the Spinoza project ‘Understanding Language by Machines’. Within that framework several researchers are working on the Leolani project, with which the PD will also collaborate: https://leolani.github.io

Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
A better understanding of ourselves and social communities, values and meaning, through social sciences and humanities. That is the aim of The Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. No single discipline can do this alone. The SSH disciplines are characterised by an open way of thinking and the natural urge to seek coherence and connection.

The faculty consists of nine academic departments within three schools: School of Religion & Theology (SRT), School of Social Sciences (SSc) and School of Humanities (SH).

Are you interested in joining Social Sciences and Humanities? You become part of a dynamic academic community with approximately 900 staff members, over 5,000 regular students and more than 5,000 course participants. In an inspiring and collegial environment, we work together on education and research with impact.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility.  Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.

Interested

Are you interested in this position and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the further development of our university? In that case, we encourage you to submit your application.

Submitting a diploma, a reference check and an assessment are part of the application procedure.

Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.

Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.

Your function

In this PD position, you investigate what alignment is required between the world models of agents and humans that collaborate. You also develop communicative strategies for the agent to detect misalignments and take actions to resolve these. Are we talking about the same things, in the same place at the same time and how can we reach consensus? You will develop experiments in which world views are created from observations and communications and different approaches can be tested to align the human and agent variants. The PD will experiment with symbolic techniques using Knowledge Graph representations of the world, Large Language Model encodings of the world and hybrid approaches. For the alignment, a Theory-of-Mind model is needed to deal with variants of the world.

Your duties

  • create AI agents that can create world representations from observations and communication and represent alternative world views in a Theory-of-Mind model
  • detect misalignments across these world views and develop communicative strategies to resolve these
  • create experiments and data to test different approaches
  • carry out your research according to international standards
  • and at least one publication per year in an A or B ranked journal or conference proceedings
  • make your research and experiments publicly available and reproducible
  • teaching Natural Language Processing courses in the bachelor and master programmes

Your profile

  • PhD in Computational Linguistics, Computer Science or Artificial Intelligence
  • At least two of the following:
    • knowledge of and experience with Large Language Models
    • knowledge of and experience with Knowledge Graphs

As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.

We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

What do we offer?

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

  • a starting salary of EUR 4.412,- (scale 10.5) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile Researcher 4
  • a position for at least 0.8 FTE. Your employment contract will initially last 1 year with a possible extension with another year 

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:

  • a full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
  • 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
  • solid pension scheme (ABP)
  • child daycare facilities available on campus
  • good paid parental leave scheme

About us

About the department, institute, project

This project is part of a national gravity project on Hybrid Intelligence. Hybrid Intelligence is the combination of human and machine intelligence, expanding human intellect instead of replacing it. Our goal is to design Hybrid Intelligent systems, an approach to Artificial Intelligence that puts humans at the centre, changing the course of the ongoing AI revolution. You will collaborate with many researchers on key notions such as collaborative, explainable, adaptable and responsible AI and you will have access to lab facilities with technical support. The Hybrid Intelligence project is recruiting about 30 PhDs and PostDocs in total. For more information on the project see www.hybrid-intelligence-centre.nl

The research is further embedded in the Computational Lexicology and Terminology Lab (CLTL), which is one of the world’s leading research groups in Human Language technology. Prof. dr. Piek Vossen, recipient of the NWO Spinoza Prize, heads the group of international researchers that are working on ground-breaking projects, among which the Spinoza project ‘Understanding Language by Machines’. Within that framework several researchers are working on the Leolani project, with which the PD will also collaborate: https://leolani.github.io

Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
A better understanding of ourselves and social communities, values and meaning, through social sciences and humanities. That is the aim of The Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. No single discipline can do this alone. The SSH disciplines are characterised by an open way of thinking and the natural urge to seek coherence and connection.

The faculty consists of nine academic departments within three schools: School of Religion & Theology (SRT), School of Social Sciences (SSc) and School of Humanities (SH).

Are you interested in joining Social Sciences and Humanities? You become part of a dynamic academic community with approximately 900 staff members, over 5,000 regular students and more than 5,000 course participants. In an inspiring and collegial environment, we work together on education and research with impact.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility.  Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.

Vragen over de vacature?

Neem contact op met

Piek Vossen

Hoogleraar
06-81773878

Interested

Are you interested in this position and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the further development of our university? In that case, we encourage you to submit your application.

Submitting a diploma, a reference check and an assessment are part of the application procedure.

Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.

Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.

Vragen over de vacature?

Neem contact op met

Piek Vossen

Hoogleraar
06-81773878

Sollicitatieprocedure

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