Postdoc in societal perspectives on copyright and AI

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked as one of the world's leading universities. It has approximately 46,000 students and 8,500 employees in Lund, Helsingborg, and Malmö. We are united in our endeavor to understand, explain, and improve our world and human conditions.

Lund University welcomes applicants with different backgrounds and experiences. Equality, equal opportunities, and diversity are fundamental principles for all parts of our operations.

Description of the workplace

This two-year postdoctoral position is part of the Nordforsk-funded research project COPY.AI, which is coordinated by Norska Regnesentralen (Norwegian Computing Centre). The purpose of the project is to investigate the future of intellectual property rights through collaboration across university and disciplinary boundaries, against the backdrop of the rapid development in generative AI.

The postdoc will primarily be active in the research group AI and society, led by Stefan Larsson at LTH, Lund University. The group focuses on social science-oriented but interdisciplinary issues linked to artificial intelligence. The research group collaborates across several faculties, including medicine, law, social sciences, and humanities, as well as with research environments in, for example, Finland, Brazil, Italy, and Japan.

Subject description

The subject Technology and Society encompasses multi- and interdisciplinary studies of the role, interaction, regulation, and significance of technology in society. The project focuses on societal issues at the intersection of copyright and the development of AI models.

Tasks

The main task in a postdoctoral position is to conduct research. Teaching may also be included in the employment, but may comprise at most 20 percent of the working time. The employment includes the opportunity to undergo three weeks of higher education pedagogical training. The purpose of the employment is to develop scientific independence and create conditions for continued academic and professional development.

You will explore societal aspects with legal relevance at the intersection of copyright and the training of AI models. You will organize workshops where legal, technical, and other expertise meet, focusing on both legal and social norms linked to issues of authorship/creation, intellectual property rights, as well as the various consequences that the development and use of large language models (LLMs) have for legal systems as well as for society at large, such as creative practices and their markets.

You will design and carry out sub-studies in close collaboration primarily with the research group at Lund University, but also potentially with researchers within the broader project group.

The studies may, for example, focus on:

how the training of AI models on copyright-protected material can or should be understood in relation to possible or probable future scenarios, including issues of remuneration and compensation, what level or type of transparency is appropriate from a copyright perspective during the training and use of AI models.

This may include, but is not limited to:

studies of the development of a Swedish language model (SE.LLMA), including aspects of transparency, opt-out, and how remuneration can be balanced or distributed between or to copyright holders, following and analyzing aspects of the USA-oriented model development and associated legal processes, for example the settlement in the class action lawsuit against Anthropic (Anthropic Class Action Settlement), with a focus on what consequences these may have in a Nordic and Baltic context.

Methodologically, the project can use a wide spectrum of social science methods, from exploratory workshops to various forms of qualitative, quantitative, and legal analyses. The employment may include certain travels, primarily within the framework of the Nordic cooperation, but also provides the opportunity to participate in international conferences.

The tasks include:

Conducting research within the research group attached to the project. Planning and conducting workshops, analyzing case studies, and writing scientific articles. Participating in some teaching at the department. Collaborating with industry and the surrounding society.

Eligibility

Those who have obtained a doctoral degree, or a foreign degree assessed to correspond to a doctoral degree, within the subject area of the employment, are eligible to be employed as a postdoc. Proof that the eligibility requirement has been met must have been submitted no later than when the employment decision is made. Primarily, the applicant in question will have obtained their degree at most three years before the application deadline. If there are special reasons, the doctoral degree may have been obtained earlier.

Other requirements:

Doctoral degree in a relevant social science discipline, for example sociology of law, science and technology studies (STS), media and communication studies, or other interdisciplinary combinations relevant to the intersection of artificial intelligence, law, and society. Very good knowledge of English, both oral and written. Ability to work both independently and in close collaboration with others. You are structured and resilient. You have experience of research or studies at the intersection of new technology, for example AI and large language models (LLM), and social or societal issues. You have experience of empirical research methods, especially qualitative. You have basic knowledge of intellectual property law and copyright.

Assessment criteria

This is a merit-based position primarily focused on research. The employment is intended as a first step in an academic career, and the assessment of applicants will therefore primarily be based on their scientific merits and potential as researchers. Special weight will be placed on scientific skill within the subject area of the employment.

When employing a postdoc, the following assessment criteria shall be applied:

Good ability to develop and conduct high-quality research. Pedagogical skill.

Read the advertisement in its entirety and how to apply at https://lu.varbi.com/what:job/jobID:978010.