AI systems need to be designed in the interest of people and the environment. This postdoc position focuses on developing principles and demonstrators that focus on the idea of "multi-intentionality” in the context of the User Interface (UI) Design of Responsible AI Systems – that is, considering the concurrent and potentially conflicting intents and needs of different users and stakeholders. The research will aim to conceptualize and demonstrate how user interface design can contribute to:
- Visualize the "multi-intentionality" of a decentralized AI system;
- Situate, tune and negotiate the system responses;
- Make a system’s responses contestable and refutable.
A first choice of context is health. For example, a context where the AI system is facilitating practices of self-care to help users make the most of their health and wealth for insurance purposes. The system tracks the user’s activity to reward benefits without claiming and provides fitness and nutrition tips to develop healthy long-term habits. Profiling and price optimisation may not always cater user’s, company’s and society’s different intents and needs appropriately. How can automated decisions based on profiling and price optimisation be explained, contested and possibly repaired?

The ideal candidate has a background in design informatics and human-data interaction, with emphasis on visual communication and data visualization and experience with working in multidisciplinary teams. Design expertise and experience in the healthcare domain is desirable.   

Fixed-term contract: for 1 year, could be extended to 2 years.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, a discount for health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. Coming to Delft Service organizes diverse events for new international employees and their accompanying partners, like Partner Career Workshops and Dutch Culture Workshops. Located on campus are the International Children’s Centre and an international primary school which are subject to availability as well as several bilingual schools in the nearby surrounding. Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.

Technische Universiteit Delft

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is a multifaceted institution offering education and carrying out research in the technical sciences at an internationally recognised level. Education, research and design are strongly oriented towards applicability. TU Delft develops technologies for future generations, focusing on sustainability, safety and economic vitality. At TU Delft you will work in an environment where technical sciences and society converge. TU Delft comprises eight faculties, unique laboratories, research institutes and schools.

Faculty Industrial Design Engineering

The faculty of Industrial Design Engineering is the largest and broadest scientific design institute in the world, with over 2,000 students, more than 6,000 alumni and 300 staff (researchers and lecturers, including designers from industrial practice). The faculty aims to contribute to a better living environment and respond to social challenges by combining human values and desires with technological feasibility and economic viability. We are excellently placed to do so, as we ground design methods and skills in scientific knowledge from a wide range of disciplines, leading to concrete solutions.
The faculty of Industrial Design Engineering is one of the founding faculties of the AITech mission-oriented program of TU Delft, a mission-oriented science, design, engineering and business innovation initiative, focused on autonomous technology and human responsibility in digital societies. AITech will offer a multidisciplinary environment where faculty members, postdocs and PhD students from science, design, engineering and business work together to (a) create awareness and ownership of responsible computing-based engineering and design in a digital society, (b) develop definitions and criteria for assessing and orienting the engineering and design of autonomous intelligent systems, and (c) design and engineer desirable systems for demonstration and showcase. Members of AITech believe that on one end, research is needed to develop the core technology enabling autonomous intelligent systems, typically computer science, mathematics and electrical engineering experts. On the opposite end, there is a need for researching and assessing both technology integration in everyday life and its systemic and societal impact. To foster this kind of multidisciplinary and systemic integration, AITech has strong and active links with specific points of gravity in research and education within 13 different TU Delft deparments and institutes, the latter including: Delft Data Science Initiative, Delft Design for Values Institute, and Robotics Institute.
The postdoc will be affiliated with the department of Industrial Design, recognized as an international leader in design research.