Data Studies and Ethical Data Work – Two positions available

The Ethical Data Initiative at the chair of Philosophy and History of Science and Technology (est. September 2024) of Prof. Sabina Leonelli is a global coordinating hub for research on data ethics and related education and policy activities. We are looking forward to collaborate with a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher who shares our deep interest in exploring educational, social, and governance issues that emerge in the context of working with data (both within and beyond the realm of scientific research), as well as possible future scenarios and applications particularly in relation to Artificial Intelligence.
We are looking for fellows with a background in policy, governance or data science and a strong interest in data studies and practical applications.

We are a very interdisciplinary team and world-leading expertise in the philosophy, history and social studies of data, data ethics and the governance of data and AI. We invite the researcher taking on this position under the chair of Philosophy and History of Science and Technology to become a core contributor to the Ethical Data Initiative.

About the Ethical Data Initiative at the TUM Think Tank

The Ethical Data Initiative is a global coordinating hub for research on data ethics and related education and policy activities. It brings together a network of relevant partners with the aim to scale up available resources to foster just, ethical and responsible data production, trading, processing and use around the world. We are particularly interested in developing training resources and governance models for under-resourced parts of society, including research institutions as well as small and medium enterprises, civil society organizations, social services, public administrations and other public bodies – which do crucial data work across the globe yet do not typically have in-house resources to develop skills in responsible data management.

What we offer:

• Cutting-edge research in a collaborative environment
• Opportunities to shape policy and governance concerning innovative technologies
• A global community and cooperations with partners like UNESCO, FAO, and OECD 

Application

We look forward to receiving your application by 1st of April 2024!
We will review applications on a continuous basis thus, they should be submitted as early as possible via e-mail to: tumthinktank@hfp.tum.de

Learn more and apply here.

Stephanie Hare joined us on the evening of 27 February 2023 to present the main topics of her book “Technology is not neutral: A Short Guide to Technology Ethics”. In her book, Stephanie Hare addresses some key questions surrounding modern digital technologies: One focus is how developers of technology but also society at large can seek to maximize the benefits of technologies and applications while minimizing their harms. Read our key takeaways from our discussion here. 

Some key take-aways from the discussion

Using a philosophical framework, she utilizes several different fields and approaches to ethics and philosophy to call attention to these issues. For instance, metaphysics points out what the problem needs to be solved, while epistemology helps us to ask about the relevant sources of knowledge to address these questions and problems. Political Philosophy, on the other hand, highlights the question of who holds the power to pursue these solutions, while aesthetics highlights how technologies should be designed and displayed. Ethics, finally, gives us answers to the question of what the inherent values are baked into technology. 

Throughout the discussion with Alexander v. Janowski and the audience, we addressed crucial observations on the design of technologies which we can make in our everyday world. Examples included how the size of many smartphones is fitted to larger, typically male hands, similarly to how airbags in vehicles have only been tested on mannequins that resemble the average male body. These observations lent credence to the ethical considerations of who and what entities do and should have control over the design and application of technologies. 

Overall, Stephanie Hare hopes that her book “hacks humans and human culture.” by contributing to the effort to inspiring people to see the biases and intentional or unintentional inequalities that technologies will take on from their developers if left unscrutinized.  

To learn more about Stephanie Hare, the book, and her other works, visit her website at https://www.harebrain.co.