What are the responsibilities and job description for the Postdoctoral Associate in Philosophy and Ethics of AI position at University of Florida Health?
Job no: 533496
Work type: Post Doc Associate
Location: Main Campus (Gainesville, FL)
Categories: Social/Behavioral Science, Humanities
Department: 16340000 - LS-PHILOSOPHY
The Department of Philosophy in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Florida invites applications for a Post-doctoral Associate to work on research projects in the philosophy and ethics of artificial intelligence led by Dr. Cameron Buckner, Professor of Philosophy and the Donald F. Cronin Chair in the Humanities beginning August 16, 2025. We are especially interested in individuals with both philosophical background and an understanding of recent machine learning technologies to work on topics related to explainability, interpretability, and/or the use of machine learning methods to model human cognition, as well as related ethical and epistemic issues. The department has an established strength in the philosophy of AI, and the associate will have the opportunity to interact and potentially collaborate with other department members working in this area, including David Grant, Duncan Purves, and Amber Ross, as well as numerous AI researchers in other disciplines. The University of Florida has for the last several years been engaged in an ambitious artificial intelligence initiative (see https://ai.ufl.edu) for research and teaching, including interdisciplinary research—which includes access to HiPerGator, one of the most powerful high-performance computers at a US public university ( www.rc.ufl.edu/services/hipergator/ ) and NaviGator AI, an API providing easy access to many state of the art Large Language Models and multimodal generative AI systems ( https://it.ufl.edu/ai/uf-navigator-ai/ ).
The successful candidate must have a PhD in Philosophy, Computer Science, or another AI-related discipline. This position will be initially awarded for one year, and, contingent upon strong performance and conduct, and availability of funds, may be renewed for one additional year.
UF is the state’s oldest, largest, and most comprehensive land grant university with an enrollment of over 50,000 students and was ranked 7 th in the country among public universities (US News and World Report 2025 rankings), and 1 st among public institutions in the Wall Street Journal 2023 survey. UF is located in Gainesville, a city of approximately 150,000 residents in North-Central Florida, 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, and 67 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, and within a 2-hour drive to large metropolitan areas (Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville). The beautiful climate and extensive nearby parks and recreational areas afford year-round outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, and nature photography. UF’s large college sports programs, museums, and performing arts center support a range of activities and cultural events for residents to enjoy. Alachua County schools are highly rated and offer a variety of programs including magnet schools and an international baccalaureate program. Learn more about what Gainesville has to offer at Visit Gainesville .
Expected Salary:The salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, and the compensation includes a full benefits package. To see more, visit, benefits.hr.ufl.edu.
Minimum Requirements:A PhD in Philosophy, Computer Science, or another AI-related discipline.
Preferred Qualifications:Preferred qualifications include:
- Understanding of and/or experience with methods in machine learning
- Publications in philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, philosophy of language, epistemology, or ethics, especially as applied to artificial intelligence
- Experience writing grant proposals or working on funded research projects, or interest in acquiring and honing grant writing skills
For full consideration, applications must be submitted online. Click on Apply Now at the top of this posting.
A complete application includes (1) a letter of application summarizing the applicant's qualifications, interests, and suitability for the position, (2) a completecurriculum vitae, (3) a statement on research goals, and (4) a list of at least three references. After initial review, letters of recommendation will be requested from the references for selected applicants.
Applications will be reviewed beginning December 15, 2024, and the position will remain open until filled. Only complete applications will be reviewed at this time. Applications received after this date may be considered at the discretion of the committee and/or hiring authority.
All candidates for employment are subject to a pre-employment screening which includes a review of criminal records, reference checks, and verification of education.
The selected candidate will be required to provide an official transcript to the hiring department upon hire. A transcript will not be considered “official” if a designation of “Issued to Student” is visible. Degrees earned from an educational institution outside of the United States require evaluation by a professional credentialing service provider approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), which can be found at http://www.naces.org/ .
The Department of Philosophy is committed to promoting an environment that welcomes all abilities, classes, ethnicities/races, gender identities and expressions. We particularly welcome applicants who can contribute to such an environment through their scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and professional service.
Health Assessment Required: No
