PhD studentship: Bennett Institute PhD Studentship in AI Governance OR Geospatial AI (2025)

3.5 year PhD studentship: Bennett Institute PhD Studentship in AI Governance OR Geospatial AI (2025) Centre, University of Sussex.

The PhD project will either address the Global Governance of AI or advance geospatial AI methods for urban sustainability.

Topic Global Governance of AI: Current platform models and power concentration of big tech lead to an unregulated arms race with high risks for democracies, emergent dictatorial power, existential risks of AGI, but also more mundane consequences for the future of work and planetary stability. The PhD may scrutinize the game theoretic background and psychological issues underpinning the arms race, and develop proposals of how international cooperation and strategic changes in the rule of the game could mediate risks and allow for beneficial use of AI.

Topic Geospatial AI: The team of Felix Creutzig has developed a geospatial AI model that addresses induced car transport demand in urban planning and heat modifying effects of green, grey, and blue infrastructures. The PhD may further develop this model and make it applicable to UK settlements and towns, potentially also while considering the Labour government’s building policies.

Benefits:

The PhD studentship is offered for a maximum of 3.5 years, beginning in September 2025, renewable on a yearly basis, subject to satisfactory performance on the doctoral degree. The successful candidate will receive:

• Full fee waiver
• Stipend equivalent to the UKRI doctoral stipend, currently £19,795 per annum.
• Opportunity to apply for any part-time Research Assistant roles available.

Eligibility:

Open to UK/EU and overseas applicants. Applicants should have:

• 2:1 honours degree,
• Master’s degree in a related subject (or studying for this) with a good level pass, or non-UK equivalent.
• Proof of proficiency in English i.e., an IELTS certificate taken within the last two years. (At least 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each of the four sections.)

Application procedure:

• Apply for a PhD in Science & Technology Policy Studies Integrated PhD at the University of Sussex, including a research proposal addressing one of the research topics above or a closely related topic http://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/phd/apply
• For questions relating to the application process, contact business-researchstudents@sussex.ac.uk.
• For informal enquiries in relation to ideas for research topics, contact Professor Felix Creutzig, fc358@sussex.ac.uk

Deadline: 31/03/2025

For more information please see here.

We welcome applications from suitably qualified people, regardless of ethnicity, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, and working patterns.

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