Two Postdoctoral Researchers on AI & Politics
Investigate the intersection of AI and contemporary politics
We are seeking for two ambitious postdoctoral researchers for the interdisciplinary Research Priority Area AI & Politics. As artificial intelligence (AI) diffuses through our lives, it reconfigures central aspects of politics and society as we know it. It affects political deliberation as well as how and to whom public services are delivered. It also transforms political issues into technical problems to be solved through private means, thus replacing or democratic institutions with private interests. Fuelled by rapidly expanding automated data collection, AI is an influential tool in the hands of the powerful, while also opening novel avenues for resistance.
The Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences hosts the Research Priority Area in 'AI & Politics', which stimulates the interdisciplinary research in this field for a period of five years. The leading question for this RPA is: how does AI change contemporary politics, broadly conceived, and how is AI development and application itself shaped by political dynamics? The core team of the RPA currently consists of Claes de Vreese, Daniel Mügge, Hilde Voorveld, Theo Araujo, Valentina Carraro, and Jaron Harambam.
What are you going to do
The overall aim of the RPA is to strengthen and fuse the expertise of the Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences about the interplay between AI and politics, and its societal consequences. This RPA embraces a broad definition of politics, spanning both formal and informal dynamics through which societal challenges and conflicts are processed in a variety of contexts. As a postdoctoral researcher you will play a key role in reaching these aims by conducting a research project on AI & Politics that focuses on at least one of the four dimensions in which AI challenges traditional political dynamics:
- Investigating the impact of AI on politics
- The politics of AI governance
- How does (largely private) AI do traditional administrative “political” jobs
- When, how and why is the use of AI politicized?
More extensive descriptions of these themes and potential topics and research questions can be found here: Artificial Intelligence & Politics - University of Amsterdam (uva.nl) This position gives you the possibility to shape your own research project within one of the four dimensions within the theme of AI & Politics.
Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):
- Developing, conducting, and publishing empirical research on AI & Politics, and its societal consequences
- Presenting your work at (inter)national conferences
- Writing white papers and blog posts aiming to disseminate academic knowledge among relevant stakeholders outside academia;
- Contributing to the overall RPA AI & Politics program in terms of community building, events, research meetings, and activities;
- Helping to write grant-proposals.
Your application & contact
If you recognize yourself in this profile and are interested in the role, we look forward to receiving your motivation letter and CV. You can apply until 23 March 2026.
Applications in .pdf should include:
- a curriculum vitae;
- a short letter of motivation;
- a 2-page research proposal for the research you would like to carry out during the position. Please include a research question, methods and leading theories, and elaborate on the connection between this project suggestion and the focus of the RPA.
In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be given preference over external candidates. For questions about the vacancy, you can contact the chair of the selection committee, Valentina Carraro (v.carraro2@uva.nl).
