PhD researcher in Criminal Procedure Law and AI for intelligence analysis

Do you want to study one of the core legal and regulatory issues relating to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for intelligence analysis in criminal investigations?
And do you want to contribute to a vision on how to regulate such AI through criminal procedure law and technology?

This PhD position on Criminal Procedure Law and AI for intelligence analysis at the Criminal Law group of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is part of an interdisciplinary research project 'AI4Intelligence'. You will join an exciting and vibrant community where legal scholars, computer scientists and public administration experts meet and form interdisciplinary teams that work at the intersection of Criminal Procedure Law and Technology.

Your duties
What are you going to do?

The main goal of using AI for intelligence analysis is to produce evidence that can be used in criminal cases in court. However, in order to translate AI-generated information into admissible court evidence it must comply with the general evidentiary requirements of reliability and lawfulness. There are two interrelated reasons that make satisfying these requirements difficult. First, there is a lack of (clear) rules as to how the evidentiary requirements - developed for analogue situations with different types of evidence in mind - are to be operationalised in the context of AI in the criminal process. And, second, AI diminishes the transparency and explainability of the evidence-creation process. The resulting effect reduces the possibility of the judge and the defence to question and contest AI-generated evidence (i.e., 'contestability'). The end result is that neither the judge nor the defence can properly assess whether the content of the information is truthful and has been obtained through legal methods. The lack of contestability of AI-generated evidence therefore has a significant effect on one of the core rights and principles of the criminal process: the right to a fair trial and the accompanying principle of equality of arms.

Building on existing work on AI-regulation, due process and digital evidence, this PhD will engage with the following questions. What enables the contestability of AI-produced evidence in court? How could and should requirements of transparency and explainability (as stemming from the right to a fair criminal trial) be understood in the context of AI-generated evidence and its 'black box' nature? To what extent can the requirements of transparency and explainability be 'hardcoded' in AI-tools themselves? And can a 'dialogue-based' approach to explainability via symbolic-AI and interactive visualisation techniques, which allow for the inclusion of contextual knowledge, mitigate issues relating to the trouble with hardcoding complex legal rules?

The PhD is a part of an NWO-funded interdisciplinary research project ('AI4Intelligence'), which enables close collaboration with the Department of Information and Computing Sciences and the School of Governance at Utrecht University, and the Visual Analytics group (Department of Mathematics and Computer Science) at Technical University Eindhoven. Through close collaboration with researchers in law, computer science, visual analytics and public administration, you will conduct cutting-edge interdisciplinary research into the regulation of AI for intelligence analysis. With your interdisciplinary collaborative work you will be able to translate research results into innovation and influence policymaking in the Netherlands.

• a completed master's degree in law; knowledge of Dutch criminal law is a plus;
• affinity with questions of criminal law and technology and a knowledgeable curiosity for AI;
• excellent academic credentials, as demonstrated by grades and/or curriculum vitae;
• a creative mind and strong critical and analytical skills;
• an interest in working across legal disciplines, using different methods (e.g., interdisciplinary and empirical) and collaborations with non-legal disciplines;
• an excellent command of English; knowledge of Dutch is a plus.

If the vacancy appeals to you, but you are doubting whether you are THE person we are looking for, please do apply. We welcome applications from underrepresented backgrounds.

We offer a temporary full-time contract with the preferred starting date on 1 June 2023. The appointment will initially be for 1 year. After a satisfactory evaluation of the initial appointment, the contract will be extended for a total duration of 3 years.

The salary will be in accordance with university regulations for academic personnel and amounts €2,541 (PhD) per month during the first year and increases to €3,247 (PhD) per month during the fourth year, based on a full-time contract. Additionally, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers excellent fringe benefits and various schemes and regulations to promote a good work/life balance, such as:

• a maximum of 41 days of annual leave based on full-time employment;
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus;
• a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge;
• a contribution to commuting expenses.

What else do we offer?

• a stimulating academic and international environment with plenty of opportunities for cooperation with colleagues from Criminal Law, Criminology and/or other sections;
• monitoring and support enabling you to grow academia;
• building networks;
• opportunities to translate your research into impact for society.

The Criminal Law group is a part of the Criminal Law & Criminology department at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, which brings together researchers from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. The Criminal Law group conducts cutting-edge (empirical) legal research into criminal law in a broad sense, including specialised areas such as international criminal law and criminal law and technology. Placing high value both on academic and societal impact, members of the group hold additional positions, such as substitute judges and lawyers.

The ambition of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is clear: to contribute to a better world through outstanding education and ground-breaking research. We strive to be a university where personal development and commitment to society play a leading role. A university where people from different disciplines and backgrounds collaborate to achieve innovations and to generate new knowledge. Our teaching and research encompass the entire spectrum of academic endeavor - from the humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences through to the life sciences and the medical sciences.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is home to more than 30,000 students. We employ over 5,500 individuals. The VU campus is easily accessible and located in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas district, a truly inspiring environment for teaching and research.

Diversity
We are an inclusive university community. Diversity is one of our most important values. We believe that engaging in international activities and welcoming students and staff from a wide variety of backgrounds enhances the quality of our education and research. We are always looking for people who can enrich our world with their own unique perspectives and experiences.

Faculty of Law
The Faculty of Law provides bachelor's degree programmes in three main fields: Law, Notarial law and Criminology. In addition, we offer an extensive range of Master's programmes as well as contract education. Our teaching and research focus on the social function and relevance of law: from contracts in the platform economy to the new way of working, from colonial injustice to medical liability, from family reunification to civil participation, from sex offenses to ransomware. Our research is often both international and multidisciplinary in character.

Working at the Faculty of Law means being engaged in an active and inspiring academic setting. Together with your colleagues, you will contribute to the quality of teaching and research in a challenging and rewarding working environment. More than 300 people work at the Faculty of Law, which is home to some 4,500 students.