PhD on Co-envisioning Feminist Generative AI Futures

Fully funded PhD position on co-envisioning feminist generative AI futures to challenge power structures in the design of generative AI technologies

The TU Delft Faculty of Industrial Design, Department of Sustainable Design Engineering is seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to work on co-creating visions for generative AI futures together with vulnerable and marginalized groups, to develop methods that systematically engage them in designing generative AI applications.
 
The candidate will work in an exciting interdisciplinary environment, collaborating with experts in artificial intelligence, design, and social sciences within the Feminist Generative AI Lab.
  
Feminist Generative AI Lab
 
The Feminist Generative AI Lab is a joint research Lab based at TU Delft and Erasmus University of Rotterdam. The Lab pioneers research at the intersection of generative AI, design, and data feminism. Recognizing the recent developments in generative AI technology and its widespread impact, the lab addresses the ethical challenges and opportunities inherent in this transformative field through a theoretical feminist lens. A feminist approach to technology goes beyond gender. Broadly understood, it is an approach that aims for less dominating alternatives, thinks beyond binary oppositions and embraces pluralism and difference.
 
Recent advances in generative AI technology, marked by increased accessibility and broad applicability across diverse contexts, have the potential to revolutionize societal structures, professions, activities, and human interactions. This brings forth exciting opportunities alongside significant ethical concerns. Such concerns arise from the lack of diversity in gender, race, and cultural narratives throughout the development and application of AI. Such tendencies intentionally and unintentionally perpetuate and reinforce systemic discriminations and inequalities, and prioritize profit over societal well-being, justice, and inclusion. The adoption of generative AI technologies at scale can propagate and amplify these risks, necessitating urgent exploration of the implications, pitfalls, and potentials of generative AI from an ethical standpoint.
 
Our research Lab applies feminist AI principles to the design, development, and deployment of generative AI solutions to support empowerment, inclusion, and justice across diverse domains. We examine and address aspects like intersectionality, hierarchies, and power structures within generative AI by employing methods such as participation, pluralism, and embodiment. This approach entails investigating various strategies to integrate AI, design, and data feminism, leveraging a multidisciplinary environment that merges expertise and methods from design, social sciences, and artificial intelligence. Together, we strive to chart a path towards a more ethical, inclusive, and socially just technological landscape.

Vacancy

We invite applications for a fully-funded PhD position in Design, focusing on the co-envisioning of feminist generative AI futures with vulnerable and marginalized communities, to develop methods and approaches that engage them in the development of generative AI technologies. The successful candidate will carry out groundbreaking research aimed at fostering inclusivity, justice, and equality within the realm of generative artificial intelligence design and application.
 
Research Context

The prevailing discourse in generative artificial intelligence (AI) has often overlooked the impact of such technology on minorities, marginalized, and vulnerable populations. For instance, LLMs or text-to-image models have proven to perpetuate bias and stereotypes due to the input data reflecting the ideas, values, and perspectives of traditionally wealthiest and more powerful groups. We challenge this approach, seeking to redefine the processes that determine the construction and application of generative AI. Unlike traditional approaches that prioritize technological advancements and profit, our research places a strong emphasis on feminist principles, participatory design, and design activism. This project aims to address power imbalances and promote inclusivity, justice, and equality in generative AI development and deployment. Positioned against a backdrop of increasing awareness of AI ethical implications, this project strives to contribute to a transformative shift in AI research, actively involving vulnerable and marginalized communities in shaping a more equitable socio-technical future.
 
Methodologies and Activities

This PhD project explores participatory, speculative design, and design activism methods to challenge current approaches in generative AI development and deployment, with a focus on engaging marginalized and vulnerable communities. The research goal is to develop and validate design methods and processes for engaging vulnerable groups in the development of feminist (e.g. just, inclusive, and fair) Generative AI futures in different contexts. 
 
The candidate will adopt speculative design, value-sensitive design, participatory design, and design activism to engage vulnerable and marginalized groups and communities in conversations about the development of generative AI technologies and applications that embrace pluralism, diversity, and justice. They are expected to engage in the following activities:
•     Analyze stakeholders and power structures in GenAI development and implementation in specific contexts, to identify vulnerable and marginalized groups affected by such technology; 
•    Generate design-activism (physical/digital) artifacts to raise awareness on ethical risks, educate on GenAI technologies, enable conversations, and elicit values of vulnerable groups;
•    Co-envision generative AI futures that embed those values as well as fears, expectations, and desires;
•    Prototype future scenarios to make visions immersive and experiential;
•    Debate such futures with the public (diverse audiences), uncover conflicts and power imbalances among stakeholders, and outline guidelines, requirements, and approaches for the development of feminist generative AI technologies and solutions in these contexts;
•    Derive methodological approaches to systematically embed inclusivity and pluralism in the development and application of generative AI in different contexts.

In line with Feminist AI principles, we consider it essential to understand and engage in the context in which inequalities are rooted. Therefore, the PhD candidate will have the opportunity to identify the context they intend to explore in their research, considering accessibility, personal experiences and motivations. 
 
Qualifications
 
•    Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field;
•    Proficiency in qualitative research methods; 
•    Excellent communication and collaboration skills;
•    Familiarity with (generative) artificial intelligence and an interest in data feminism or feminist AI principles;
•    Experience with participatory design, speculative design, or design activism is desirable;
•    A commitment to social justice issues;
•    Excellent scientific writing skills are a plus.
 
This PhD position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research at the intersection of design, feminism, and artificial intelligence, with the potential to shape the future of inclusive and just technological landscapes. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply.

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Dr. Sara Colombo (sara.colombo@tudelft.nl)

Applicants should send their CV, a cover letter (1-2 pages) outlining their qualifications and motivations, and names and contact details of two referees, who may be approached by the selection committee. If applicable, they can attach a sample of scientific writing (e.g., an academic publication) and a design portfolio. 

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply before 18 February 2024 via this link and upload your motivation letter and CV.