PhD candidate in Copyright and Generative Artificial Intelligence

We offer a PhD position of 4 years, in Copyright and Generative Artificial Intelligence (G-AI) as part of the vibrant and interdisciplinary Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology and Society (TILT).  The objective of the PhD position is to provide research on whether and how copyright law and policy should be calibrated to promote and sustain creativity and culture in the age of G-AI, in an EU context. There is flexibility for the PhD candidate to decide on their specific lines of inquiry and methodological approaches.

Your position

Tilburg Law School is seeking an enthusiastic PhD candidate in Copyright and Generative Artificial Intelligence.  

The emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (G-AI) systems capable of producing text, images, and audiovisual works (either autonomously or with human collaboration) raises fundamental questions for the future of human-creativity and cultural production. There are fears that G-AI can disrupt markets and eco-systems for human creation, devalue human creativity’s dialogic function and contribute to cultural homogenization by generating output that reflect dominant cultural narratives embedded in their training datasets. At the same time, by providing powerful tools for creative expression, G-AI has the potential to promote self-expression, democratize creativity, and expand access to artistic and cultural practices through new forms of human-machine collaboration.

This PhD vacancy is open for a candidate interested in exploring the relationship between G-AI and copyright law and policy.

Possible lines of inquiry include (but are not limited to) how EU copyright law should strike a fair balance between the competing rights and interests of diverse stakeholders such as human authors and performers, providers, distributors and deployers of G-AI systems, and the wider public. For example, how does large-scale, unauthorized use of copyright-protected content for training G-AI models affect the sustainability of human-creativity? Is copyright law a viable mechanism for addressing the problem of “parasitic usurpation” of human-creativity via G-AI outputs that mimic distinctive elements of human-generated works (e.g., “voice clones”)? How could existing and proposed EU legal mechanisms for copyright impact on the competitiveness of EU-based G-AI providers against those from  jurisdictions (e.g., Japan) that demonstrate a slant towards adopting more  “developer-friendly” copyright regimes? How should we determine authorship of G-AI output and impute liability for copyright infringement arising from G-AI output?

The candidate will be dedicating 80% of their time to research and 20% to teaching.

Tilburg University is curious about how you can contribute to our research, education, impact, and to the team you will be part of. Therefore, we would like to get the best possible picture of your knowledge, insight, skills, and personality. Below you can find the qualifications we consider important for the position.

The candidate:

• Holds a master degree in law, preferably with a focus relevant to the position. As a current master student, you are welcome to apply as long as you will complete your master program before 1 September 2026;
• Has an excellent command(CEFR C2 level) of English, enabling high-quality academic writing and communication;
• Demonstrates a strong interest in at least one of the following areas: copyright law, governance of artificial intelligence, or regulation of creative and cultural sectors;
• Has an interest in teaching and supervising students at bachelor and/or master level (e.g., tutorial groups, thesis supervision);
• Has an interest in working in an interdisciplinary environment, and wants to contribute to the broader TILT and TLS communities;
• Demonstrates scientific integrity, critical thinking skills, and the ability to carry out independent research;
• Has an interest in academic outreach and networking to strengthen societal and scholarly impact;
• Contributes to an open and inclusive organizational culture.

To maintain a vibrant university community, all staff members are expected to carry out their work in the Netherlands, and teaching is conducted in person.

International PhD candidates with scholarships below the applicable IND income standard (currently €2,191.80 per month excluding vacation pay) are unfortunately not eligible for this vacancy.

Tilburg University offers excellent benefits in a pleasant working environment:

• A position based on 1.0 fte (40 hours per week).
• A salary of minimum €3,059 and maximum €3,881 gross per month for full-time employment, based on UFO profile PhD student and salary scale P. Tilburg University uses a neutral remuneration system based on relevant work experience.
• This is a vacancy for a PhD in accordance with Article 2.3 paragraph 8 sub b CLA DU. You will initially be given a temporary contract for the duration of 18 months to assess your suitability. If suitable, this contract will be followed by a new fixed-term contract.
• Vacation pay of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3%.
• Over 8 weeks of vacation leave.
• Hybrid working with home working allowance (€2 p/day) and internet allowance (€25 p/month).
• Reimbursement sustainable commuting: walking, cycling, and public transport.
• An Options Model in which you exchange benefits for things such as additional leave, more pension, a bicycle or personal training at our Sports Center.
• Moving allowance (subject to conditions). 
• Employees from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for the 30/20/10% scheme.
• A pension with ABP; the most sustainable Dutch pension fund.
• Training in personal development, career development, leadership, education, and research or a language course at our Language Center. 
• A work culture in which we embrace differences, everyone is welcome and given equal opportunities. 
• A green, inviting campus that’s easily accessible by public transport.

For more information, see our website and the CLA Dutch Universities.

 Tilburg University is an academic, inclusive, and engaged community. Together with nearly 3,000 employees, we are committed to broad prosperity, sustainably, and inclusion. For current and future generations. We develop and share knowledge for the requirements of people and our society. This is how we contribute to solving complex social issues and help society move forward.

We educate our 19,500 students of 110 nationalities to become responsible leaders with knowledge, skills, and character. With our education and research for broad prosperity, we exceedingly focus on themes such as mental and preventive care, an inclusive labor market, the energy transition, and digitalization.

About Tilburg Law School

Since its founding in 1963, Tilburg Law School has become one of the leading law schools in Europe.  Through top research and the provision of high-quality university education, the School contributes to society. Tilburg Law School is organized into five Departments: Public Law and Governance; Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology, Markets and Society; Private, Business and Labour Law; the Fiscal Institute Tilburg; and Criminal Law. The mission of the School is to understand and improve the role of law and public administration in addressing the social problems of today and tomorrow. Through research and education, our scholars contribute to that mission.

More than 4,000 students pursue a Bachelor's, pre-Master's or Master's degree at Tilburg Law School. Through this education, we train students in law, public administration, and data science. The Tilburg Educational Profile (TEP) is unique in the Netherlands. Central to it are three core concepts: knowledge, skills, and character. A university education provides students with the latest substantive knowledge and trains them to be critical thinkers and resilient professionals. In addition, the School is committed to innovative educational concepts and, partly in response to the coronavirus crisis, has invested heavily in the quality of online education and in innovative didactic tools to make and keep students inquisitive.

Tilburg Law School's research is highly regarded nationally and internationally. The Tilburg Law School Departments work closely together in their research in four signature research programs: 1) Global Law and Governance; 2) Law and Security; 3) Connecting Responsible Organizations; and 4) Regulating Socio-Technical Change.

About the Department of Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology and Science

The Department Tilburg Institute for Law, Technology and Science (TILT) is home to education and research on the effects of socio-technical change on the regulation and governance of economic activities in an era where information technology is a key driver of innovation. TILT is one of the leading research groups in Europe at the intersection of law, technology, and society. It is premised on the multidisciplinary study of socio-technical change, aiming at understanding the interaction of technology and social and normative practices in order to clarify how regulatory challenges of socio-technical change can be addressed.

Would you like to know more before applying? Feel free to contact Prof. Giorgio Monti, G.Monti@tilburguniversity.edu or Dr. Sunimal Mendis, L.G.S.Mendis@tilburguniversity.edu

We kindly invite you to apply before 27 February 2026; this can only be done online.

Please address your cover letter to Inge Graef and attach your resume, your masters’ diploma, your master’s thesis and the filled in TIRO application form (which can be found here). We look forward to your response.