PhD position - My AI Co-worker

About the position 

We are seeking a highly motivated Doctoral Research Fellow in a full time (100 %) fixed term position available for three (3) years at the Faculty of Computer Science, Engineering and Economics, Department of Computer Science and Communication. The position is part of the research initiative “The Digital Society” at Østfold University College.

The position is focused on researching the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as co-workers in organizational contexts. This innovative research will investigate how humans engage with AI technologies, aiming to develop frameworks and guidelines that promote trust, collaboration, and effective teamwork between human workers and AI agents. The research will employ Participatory Design (PD) approach, emphasizing a democratic approach to technology design. This will require engagement with various stakeholders—including employees who will work alongside AI, organizational management who view AI from strategic and efficiency perspectives, and ICT service providers who advocate for or against AI in different contexts.

The successful candidate will be a member of an active research group at Østfold University College and is expected to do research, develop prototype implementations, and write research papers on the topic of the project. Research visits to different relevant research groups in European countries will also be possible on availability of funds and opportunity.

Location: The main place of work will be at our campus in Halden, but some presence at our campus in Fredrikstad may be expected.

Project description 

Project title: My AI Co-worker: Exploring AI for Computer Supported Collaborative Work

Project description:

With the rise of AI, we are entering a groundbreaking era where data and information are transforming our societies, with AI serving as the key tool for refining this data into actionable insights. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into our lives, exploring the dynamics between humans and their AI counterparts is crucial. In the literature, two narratives of the human-AI relationship are discussed. On the one hand, AI is viewed as a tool that enhances individual cognitive abilities in decision-making tasks, while on the other hand, it is seen as an autonomous agent that can take over tedious, repetitive, critical, dangerous, and error-prone tasks. These narratives represent the extremes of a wide range of possible configurations.

The PhD candidate will have to investigate how humans engage with AI and identify the key elements that support AI agents as team members. The goal is to develop a framework and guidelines to facilitate the design and development of AI solutions that human co-workers can trust. The aim is to explore the main research question: How to design future AI co-workers?

Within the project, the PhD candidate will work mainly in the following research areas:

• Artificial Intelligence – The candidate will contribute to the AI field by researching how different AI solutions coexist with humans in an organizational context and what should be considered in the design of new AI solutions to enhance these relationships. This requires knowledge of AI-based solutions and an interest in the social and ethical impact of AI on society.
• Participatory Design (PD) - This methodology will be used to address research questions. PD is a democratic approach to designing technological capabilities by involving those influenced by the design process. Therefore, this research will engage with people working in organizations who are experiencing or will experience AI as a co-worker, organizational management as strategists, and those who view AI from an efficiency and cost perspective differently from workers. Additionally, ICT service providers within organizations will be involved, as they often hold varying opinions for and against AI in different situations.
• Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) – CSCW is the field that studies cooperation at work between different agents, whether human or technological, with the aim of designing adequate technologies that can support and enhance cooperation. While CSCW has extensively studied how humans cooperate with each other through technology, the introduction of AI presents new dimensions that have yet to be fully explored, presenting both potential and challenges. CSCW studies are usually supplemented with studies from social and organizational sciences. This research will utilize CSCW concepts and theories to unravel and understand the relationships between AI and humans in the workplace, aiming to identify a framework for cooperation that specifies requirements for designing ethical, trustworthy, and user-friendly AI solutions.

About Research fellowship  

The Doctoral Research Fellowship is a full time (100%) fixed term position for 3 years funded by Østfold University College.

The candidate will be employed at Østfold University College. The  candidate is expected to apply and be accepted in our Doctoral  Programme “Digitalisation and Society”. Read more on our website: Digitalisation and Society

The candidate is expected to:

• actively take part in inter- and multi-disciplinary research activities relevant to AI Hub hosted by Østfold University College.
• disseminate research results on the project through high-quality scientific publications.

. Video: https://youtu.be/UDMirdRpu4w

Qualification requirements 

The successful candidate is required to have: 

• completed a master’s degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits according to Norwegian standard definitions) within the field of Computer Science, Interaction Design or a closely related field. Candidates who will complete their master's degree in the near future will also be considered. Documentation must be submitted as soon as it is available. Any potential job offer will not be made until the documentation is provided and the master's degree meets the requirements.
• been awarded the grade B or better for the Master thesis - in terms of the Norwegian grading scale. If the research summary is of excellent quality, grade C candidates can be considered.
• documented hands-on experience with exploration, analyzing and defining users’ needs for technology design by leading and facilitating workshops, interviews, observations or other methods of user needs explorations. 
• documented hands-on experience with AI projects - with conceptualizing, defining requirements or developing AI solutions
• fluent oral and written communication skills in English. For international candidates(outside of EU/EEA area), approved TOEFL English proficiency test with min. score 90 or IELTS test with min. score 7.5.

Desired qualifications

The candidate should have:

• an average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree of B or better in terms of the Norwegian grading scale  sound knowledge in Computer-Supported Cooperative Work
• knowledge of Generative AI tools
• prior publications in Journals /conferences on Computer-Supported Collaborative Work, Human-Computer Interactionor Interaction Design in general
• relevant work and/or academic experience
• skills in Norwegian equivalent to level A2 are desirable

Personal qualifications

The successful candidate has:

•  motivation and potential in the field of research
•  good communication and collaboration skills and the ability to join interdisciplinary academic communities
•  the ability to work in an international project team based in Norway and the ability take responsibility for own research goals  is an organized and self-motivated individual, eager to work with industry partners and colleagues on research problems

Emphasis will be placed on the following

In the evaluation of the applicants, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates.

Furthermore, emphasis will also be placed on the following:  

• prior academic and/or research performance
• prior relevant work experience (if applicable)
• the applicant’s own ideas of research themes and research design that would be relevant for the project proposal

We offer

• a gross annual salary of minimum NOK 532 200,- and automatically development with a 3 % annual increase during the period. In addition to taxes, a further 2% is deducted for the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund. 
• an exciting job opportunity at Østfold University College. 
• participation in a new interdisciplinary doctoral program and a research group where the project is located. 
• beneficial pension arrangements with the Norwegian State Pension Fund. 
• good employee welfare arrangements. 
• working locations at Østfold University College, Halden (Norway).
(a vibrant AI community, see https://www.hiof.no/english/research/ai-hub/ eller annen hub)- SE PÅ FOR HVER ENKELT STILLING

Submitting an application  

Please submit your application electronically via our recruitment system Jobbnorge.no. All attached documentation must be in a Scandinavian language or in English.

Application must include the following: 

A short cover letter (maximum 2 pages) describing: 

•  your qualifications, skills
•  your motivation and reasons for applying to the project and what makes you particularly qualified to carry out this PhD work. 
•  reference to your previous work where you had hands-on experience with defining design requirement for digital solutions
•  reference to your previous work where you had hands-on experience with AI projects
•  reference to your previous experience with academic research 

• A Curriculum Vitae (including an overview of education, employment, teaching experience, administrative experience, and other qualifying activities, as well as published and unpublished works).
• A publication list (if applicable). Include a brief description of your contributions if you have publications with multiple authors.
• A manuscript (article) derived from your master’s thesis or your actual master’s thesis if you have not yet published. If this is  missing, a document explaining the reason must be included.
• Copies of degree certificates and transcripts of academic records. 
• Higher education taken outside the Nordic countries must be documented by the submission of a dated and signed diploma/certificate and a transcript of grades in the original language. If the original language is not English or a Nordic language, you must also enclose an official translation. Foreign applicants must attach an explanation of their university’s grading system.
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number).

All attachments should be included electronically within the application deadline. Other documentation may be claimed at a later stage, e.g., proof of claimed English proficiency.

Documents to be sent as hard copies by post

Applicants with degrees from: Cameroon, Canada, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Ghana, Nigeria, the Philippines and the USA must send their transcripts and diploma of master’s and bachelor’s education as hard copies directly from the relevant college/university, in addition to uploading them online. The hard copies must be received by us within 4 weeks after the application deadline expires. 

To send hard copies to HiØ, please use the following address:

Høgskolen i Østfold
HR-section
Postboks 700
1757 HALDEN

Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.

Admission and appointment 

Admission to the doctoral programme Digitalisation and Society is a condition for appointment as a research fellow. The final plan for research training shall be approved and regulated by contract at the latest three months after the appointment is taken up.

The successful candidate will receive assistance in the application process to the PhD programme Digitalisation and Society at Østfold University College when starting in the position.  

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the State Employees law, the act relating to Universities and Universities Colleges and the national guidelines for appointment as a PhD student, a postdoctoral fellow or a research assistant. 

Contact persons 

You are strongly encouraged to contact the main supervisor for a discussion about the position, relevant references and the project. For other information, please contact the Vice-Dean or the advisors:

• Main supervisor: Associate Professor Dr. Klaudia Carcani, Department of Computer Science & Communication,  Klaudia.carcani@hiof.no 
• Dean, Susanne Koch Stigberg, Faculty of Computer Science, Engineering and Economics, susanne.k.stigberg@hiof.no
• Advisor for the PhD programme: Liv Simensen, liv.simensen@hiof.no  

Other information

The university college is committed to fostering a diverse and gender-balanced workforce. We seek employees with diverse skills, academic backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives. If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, gaps in their CVs, or immigrant backgrounds, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these groups for an interview.

In accordance with the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25, paragraph 2, information about the applicant may be disclosed even if the applicant has requested not to be included on the list of applicants.

If you disclose that you have an immigrant background, disability, or gaps in your CV, this information, in anonymized form, may be used for statistical purposes.