Postdoctoral position in ‘Citizen Competency in the Use of Public Service Chatbots’ as part of the National Center for AI in Society (CAISA) and based in Copenhagen

The National Center for AI in Society (CAISA) at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen, invites applications for a two-year postdoctoral position within ‘Citizen Competency in the Use of Public Service Chatbots’. The position is part of a larger research initiative on responsible artificial intelligence in collaboration with Statistics Denmark.

The position is full-time and begins on 1 January 2027, or as soon as possible thereafter. The selected candidate will be employed at CAISA and based in Copenhagen.

Introduction
CAISA, which is established as part of the Danish government’s strategic initiative for artificial intelligence (AI), is an interdisciplinary national research consortium led by the University of Copenhagen in close collaboration with the Pioneer Centre of AI. The ambition is to create excellent, interdisciplinary research in a dynamic, open, and international environment with active exchange and engagement with society.

As part of CAISA’s broader research agenda, including the moonshot “Responsible algorithms for all of Denmark”, the center has recently received funding from the Danish Research Reserve for a collaborative initiative with Statistics Denmark. This initiative aims to strengthen both research in responsible artificial intelligence (AI) and the infrastructure that enables such research, including secure access to and analysis of large-scale register data.

The research activities within the project are organised around five interrelated work packages (WPs), with the postdoc joining an interdisciplinary team of 5 postdocs and researchers working across key dimensions of responsible AI. The present postdoctoral position is linked to a Work Package led by Mogen Jin Pedersen, Associate Professor from the Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen, and senior researcher at CAISA.

Research context
We are looking for a candidate who will lead research that focuses specifically on citizen competency as a prerequisite for ensuring that interactions with public-facing AI interfaces are both effective and equitable. The research to be conducted within this work package is situated at the intersection of technological acceleration, human agency, and public sector accountability with a scope that moves beyond a system-centric view primarily concerned with administrative effectiveness and efficiency. Instead, it centers on the citizen as an active agent, investigating whether the public possesses the necessary competency to navigate these AI-mediated state encounters effectively, responsibly, and equitably. The fundamental research question of the work package is: “How can we understand, assess, and promote citizen competency in the use of public service chatbots to ensure responsible AI integration?”

Qualifications
The execution of this Work Package is ideally suited for an enterprising researcher with:

• Academic background: A PhD in political science, public administration, sociology, social data science, or a related field.
• Research focus: A demonstrated interest or experience in public sector digitalization, AI integration, and/or the formation of behavior and attitudes.
• Methodological skills: Proficiency in advanced quantitative methods, specifically experimental design, survey methodology, and causal inference. (Note: Technical data science skills, such as software engineering or system architecture, are not a prerequisite.)
• Publication record: An emerging track record of high-quality publications in international peer-reviewed journals, commensurate with their career stage.
• Collaboration: The ability to work both independently as a primary researcher and effectively within a highly collaborative team.
• Communication: Excellent proficiency in spoken and written English.

Please note that although the application process can be completed on the University of Copenhagen system without uploading publications, applications that do not include uploaded research publications (max. five) will not be considered.

Terms of Employment

• Further information on qualification requirements as postdoc can be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities 2019 here: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/criteria-for-recognising-merit/dokumenter/Ministerial_Order_no._1443_of_11_December_2019_on_Job_Structure_for_Academic_Staff_at_Universities.pdf
• Terms of appointment and salary is in accordance with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne).

The salary range starts at DKK 39,900 per month + a 18.07 % contribution to the pension scheme. It is possible to negotiate salary supplements on an annual basis.

The recruitment process
Further information on the recruitment process at University of Copenhagen can be found here:  https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

An Equal Opportunity Workplace
The University of Copenhagen is committed in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to creating an inclusive working environment and therefore encourages all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of personal background, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity etc. For more on the diverse working place environment at the University and the University’s participation in the HRS4R HR Excellence in Researrch, see https://employment.ku.dk/working-at-ucph/eu-charter-for-researchers/

Contact information
For further information please contact Associate Professor, Mogens Jin Pedersen, mp@ifs.ku.dk or +45 3533 3973, Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen, senior researcher in CAISA

Information about the recruitment process is available from HR, e-mail: HR-soendre@adm.ku.dk please refer to ID number: 211-2668/26-2I #2

How to apply
Submit a complete application at our online portal. Click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of the page to apply. The documents must be in Adobe PDF or Word. 

Your application must be written in English and include the following documents:

• Motivated application
• Curriculum vitae
• Diploma (master and PhD)
• Examples of international peer reviewed research paper (max 5)
• Other relevant material [e.g. research prototypes]

The closing date for applications is 23:59 CET 19/10/2026.

Applications or enclosures received thereafter will not be considered.