Logic List Mailing Archive

PhD student position in interactive machine reasoning, Delft (The Netherlands), Deadline: 1 Sep 2020

=== PhD Position: Interactive Machine Reasoning for Responsible Hybrid Intelligence ===

https://www.tudelft.nl/over-tu-delft/werken-bij-tu-delft/vacatures/details/?jobId=609

Challenge: How can AI interpret and adapt to a human partner in a responsible way?
Change: You will develop machine reasoning techniques and conversational strategies.
Impact: AI will be able to constantly align with its human partner via conversation.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Why build AI systems that replace people if we can build AI systems that 
collaborate with people? 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. The project will be recruiting 15 PhD 
or postdoc positions in total. For more information on the project see 
www.hybrid-intelligence-centre.nl.

At TU Delft in collaboration with University of Twente we are looking for 
a PhD student on Interactive Machine Reasoning for Responsible Hybrid 
Intelligence. The project centers around the concept of an Electronic 
Partner (e-partner), an intelligent agent that can support its user in a 
variety of daily activities, for example changing habits. In previous 
research (http://ii.tudelft.nl/coresaep/) we have developed knowledge 
structures for representing desired habits and underlying personal values, 
and a conversational agent that elicits this information from the user. 
The goal of the current project is to develop machine reasoning techniques 
and conversational strategies that allow the e-partner to interpret and 
adapt this information at run-time in interaction with the user based on 
the context. In other words, the e-partner should be able to tune in to 
the needs of the user as it provides support, and assess whether its 
support (still) aligns with user needs. With this project we lay the 
foundations for the novel area of Interactive Machine Reasoning in which 
meaning-making happens in coaction between human and technology, allowing 
people to maintain their personal space and agency. With this we go beyond 
a view of AI that centers autonomous decision making, towards Hybrid 
Intelligence.

REQUIREMENTS

Do you have a Master's degree (or equivalent) in computer science, 
artificial intelligence or a related field and a good command of the 
English language? Are you inspired by shaping the digital society of the 
future with people at the center? Are you motivated by the prospect of 
creating the next generation of AI technologies that align with people?s 
norms and values and adapt to how people want to live their lives? Then 
send us your application! Expertise in one or more of the following areas 
is useful, but anyone with a CS, AI or related background that can 
contribute to addressing the goals of the project is welcome to apply: 
e.g., multiagent systems, knowledge representation and reasoning, formal 
methods, conversational agents, user modelling, human-computer 
interaction, or context-aware systems.

RESEARCH GROUPS

The position is based at TU Delft, The Netherlands, with the Interactive 
Intelligence section, faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and 
Computer Science, and is co-supervised with the Human-Media Interaction 
group at University of Twente.

The Interactive Intelligence group focuses on interaction of users with 
intelligent systems. In particular we have a strong track record on the 
development of smart interactive agents. Such agents possess capabilities 
including learning, reasoning, social skills, emotions, and norms and can 
interact with humans. These agents typically function as coach, artificial 
actor, or companion, and are used in a wide variety of applications 
including therapy, health and entertainment.

The Human Media Interaction (HMI) lab does research into multimodal 
interaction: from brain computer interfaces to social robots. It is a 
multidisciplinary group in which computer science meets social science to 
investigate and design and evaluate novel forms of human-computer 
interaction.

WHAT WE OFFER

TU Delft offers PhD-candidates a 4-year contract, with an official go/no 
go progress assessment after one year. Salary and benefits are in 
accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, 
increasing from ? 2395 per month in the first year to ? 3061 in the fourth 
year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate 
School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research 
environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a 
mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your 
transferable, discipline related and research skills. The TU Delft offers 
a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance and 
sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work 
schedules can be arranged. For international applicants we offer the 
Coming to Delft Service and Partner Career Advice to assist you with your 
relocation.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity in the HI 
project. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, 
national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or 
disability status. Because of our diversity values we do particularly 
support women and people from other underrepresented groups to apply.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about this position, please contact Dr. Myrthe 
Tielman and Dr. Birna van Riemsdijk, email: m.l.tielman@tudelft.nl and 
m.b.vanriemsdijk@utwente.nl.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please submit the following materials:

(1) Curriculum Vitae (with a list of publications if you have any).
(2) Course lists with grades and degree certificates
(3) A letter of application in which you explain both your motivation and the relevance of your skills and experience for this research project. The motivational letter should be on-topic; generic letters will cause your application to be rejected immediately.
(4) A list of 3 (academic) references that we can contact
(5) Your MSc thesis in English (or alternatively if your MSc thesis is not in English, a 5-page summary of your MSc thesis in English).

Please e-mail your materials by September 1st to 
Vacancies-EEMCS@tudelft.nl, referring to vacancy number TUD00314. Please 
note that depending on the number and quality of applications, a first 
round of interviews may be conducted based on applications received before 
August 1st. If a suitable candidate is found in this round, the position 
might be closed before September 1st.

If you want to be also considered for one of our other PhD positions, then 
also upload your documents to our Hybrid Intelligence talent pool. Your 
information will then be shared among the researchers in the consortium, 
and you may be approached for one of the other positions listed on 
www.hybrid-intelligence-centre.nl/jobs.

A pre-employment screening can be part of the application procedure.

------------------------------------------------------
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Dr. M. Birna van Riemsdijk
Associate professor Intimate Computing
University of Twente
Website: https://intimate-computing.net
Twitter: @mbirna
Skype: mbirna



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