PhD position Human versus Artificial: A Radical Embodied Turing Test (1.0 FTE)

The rise of AI is accompanied by an equal rise of the worry about how to distinguish human-made from AI-generated output. In this project we investigate both the structural differences between human-made and AI-generated output as well as people’s differential behavioural and physiological responses to them. Concretely, we will study: (1) the spatiotemporal patterns of human-made and AI-generated images/artworks, texts and conversations; (2) people’s behavioural and physiological responses when viewing and reading human-made and AI-generated images/artworks and texts, respectively; (3) the extent and effects of synchronisation when people engage in conversations with chatbots. The goal is to develop a Radical Embodied Turing Test (RETT), on which next-generation AI-detection tools can be based and which can also help to enhance user experience with AI.

The tasks of the PhD candidate are

- Conduct research that results in a dissertation and is in line with the objectives and requirements of the project.
- Organize and execute the data collection for the different studies.
- Publish the results of the research in international scientific journals.
- Present the research findings to fellow scientists and developers in the larger project and collaborate with them.
- Provide a limited number of educational activities at the Psychology department, such as small-scale tutorials and guest lectures, in collaboration with the supervisors.

Organisation
The University of Groningen is a research university with a global outlook, deeply rooted in Groningen, City of Talent. Quality has had top priority for four hundred years and with success: the University is currently in or around the top 100 on several influential ranking lists.

The PhD project is a collaboration between the Heymans Institute for Psychological Research of the Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences and the SEARCH research group at the Faculty of Science and Engineering. The candidate will be a member of the graduate school of BSS.

The Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences excels in teaching and research in the fields of human behaviour, thinking, learning and how people live together. We work on societal issues and problems that people experience in daily life. Central to this is individual and societal resilience and how to increase this. To this end, we focus on the topics of migration, the environment and climate, health, upbringing and education, the protection of vulnerable minorities and sustainable partnerships. The Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences employs over 650 staff members. For more information about the Faculty please check the link https://www.rug.nl/gmw/.

The Software Engineering and Architecture (SEARCH) research group at the University of Groningen focuses on improving software and team health. Their vision emphasizes maintainable, high-performing software with low technical debt and productive, diverse teams. The group conducts research on topics including software architecture, technical debt, human factors and sustainable software. SEARCH is part of the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) at the University of Groningen: FSE conducts cutting-edge research in various scientific disciplines, collaborating with industry and societal partners to address fundamental and applied scientific questions.

For this position you are expected to have the following qualifications

- Have a (research) master's degree in Experimental Psychology, Movement Science, or Computer Science (or a related discipline).
- Have a good academic track record.
- Be enthusiastic about writing international publications and a dissertation.
- Have good academic English writing skills.
- Have good social and communication skills and are willing to work with other team members.
- Be enthusiastic about translating scientific insights into practical guidelines and advice.
- Have good organisational skills and the motivation to organise and realise data collection.
- Have demonstrable competencies such as conceptual capacity, presenting, planning, organising and monitoring.

Additionally, having some of the following additional qualifications and technical skills counts as an advantage

- Have an interest in complex dynamical systems theory and nonlinear time-series analysis, and/or a willingness to learn about this.
- Experience with statistical analysis software and programming languages relevant to the project (e.g., SPSS, R, Matlab, or Python).
- Familiarity with machine learning techniques and AI-related research.
- Experience in conducting behavioural experiments and physiological measurements.
- Understanding of ethical considerations in AI and psychological research.
- Experience with data visualization tools and techniques.
- Familiarity with the latest developments in AI detection tools and technologies.
- Experience with data collection methodologies and software.

We offer you in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities

- A salary of € 2,770 gross per month in the first year of the appointment, rising to € 3,539 gross per month in the fourth year for a full-time position.
- A holiday allowance of 8% gross annual income an 8.3% end-of-the-year allowance.
- Attractive secondary terms of employment.
- The position is classified in accordance with the University Job Classification (UFO) system; the UFO profile is PhD candidate.
- A temporary employment of 1.0 FTE for a period of four years. You will first be employed for a period of one year. After a positive result and development interview, the contract will be extended for the remaining period of three years.

Intended starting date: December 1st, 2024