W2-Professor of Artificial Intelligence in Culture and Society

Offer Description

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities with its more than forty professorships and a broad range of subjects encompassing the humanities and social sciences as well as art and music, is searching for candidates for the earliest possible appointment of a

University Professor (W2) of Artificial Intelligence in Culture and Society

The professorship will be responsible for the strategic development of the research interest area Human Centred Artificial Intelligence at the University of Greifswald, the management of the new bachelor’s degree course “Artificial Intelligence in Culture and Society”, and the establishment of an interfaculty centre that focuses on the implications of digital innovations on humans, culture and society, and integrates the existing initiatives in the field of digital humanities. The tasks linked to the advertised professorship comprise the entire human‑related spectrum of artificial intelligence. The professorship is open to academics from various disciplines, whose research and teaching is compatible with the activities of the faculty. The position provides extensive freedom for the planning and implementation of own, interdisciplinary research projects.

Humans are at the centre of all continuously developing technologies and, at the same time, they must be considered the most important players in the AI transformation. Humans develop, understand, control and manage AI, but they are also simple users, they reject it, or are interested, enthusiastic, worried about using it, or have ethical reservations. Newly accessible possibilities give rise to both euphoria and dystopia. A systematic analysis and understanding of the interrelationship between technological developments on the one hand and change processes in culture and society on the other is another important task for the humanities and social sciences that cannot be reduced to one individual subject.

Candidates are expected to have two fields of expertise that complement the Faculty’s research in the humanities and social sciences in the following areas: human‑machine interaction; AI usability; accessible and inclusive AI; AI ethics; language, gestural and multimodal interfaces; natural language processing; user trust, acceptancy and mental models; AI in working environments; AI effects on communication, art, culture, science, society, and democracy; or digital humanities. The focus areas must be demonstrated by subject‑related, nationally and internationally visible research achievements in the form of publications and the acquisition of external funding. Furthermore, the successful candidate will be expected to be strongly interested in interdisciplinary collaboration within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and beyond. Experience of academic self‑government is desired. The future holder of the position will be expected to be willing to teach courses in English. International experience and academic networking activities are desirable. Candidates require a fundamental understanding of methodical and technological foundations of AI systems and the ability to communicate with technical experts.

The University of Greifswald supports and demands family‑friendly leadership.

Applicants must fulfil the requirements for a university professor according to § 58 of the Landeshochschulgesetz – LHG M‑V (State Higher Education Act): a university degree, outstanding doctorate, teaching aptitude, and further academic achievements that are usually proven by a junior professorship, habilitation, or other equivalent achievements.

In accordance with § 61 LHG M‑V, the professor appointed will be assigned the status of a civil servant (Beamtenverhältnis) with unlimited tenure; alternatively, if the applicant is not permanently available: limited tenure as a civil servant or public service employee.

This vacancy is open to all applicants, irrespective of gender. The University would like to increase the proportion of women in areas in which they are underrepresented. Thus, applications from women are particularly welcome and will be treated with priority if they have the same qualifications and as long as there are no clear reasons which make a fellow applicant more suitable. Severely disabled applicants with the same professional and personal qualifications will also be given preference.