Applications are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Computer Science programme. The position is available from August 2025 or later.

Title:
AI-Assisted Human Knowledge Seeking

Research area and project description:
Humans are born knowledge seekers. Knowledge-seeking is an integral part of our daily lives, whether it's conducting a literature review, choosing a new gadget, or planning a hike. Since the dawn of civilization, humans have developed ways to organize and store knowledge, with Sumerian clay tablets and the Vedas (Sanskrit: “Knowledge”) being some of the most prominent examples. Fast forward to the 21st century, platforms like Wikipedia, available in over 300 languages, have emerged as the largest source of open knowledge on the Web. However, online knowledge is heavily influenced by occidental perspectives and sources, which results in poor knowledge equity, exacerbation of biases, and eventually knowledge gaps.

The overarching goal of this PhD project is to promote equity and mitigate gaps in online knowledge sources, thereby facilitating downstream improvements in human knowledge-seeking. Focusing on Wikipedia, we would like to devise challenging multilingual benchmark datasets and novel methods and tools to:

• Study reader knowledge-seeking needs
• Investigate issues like gender, cultural, or linguistic biases, complexity of content, and discrepancies in content quality across languages.
• Support editors in knowledge creation and maintenance

The successful candidate will join the CLAN for AI Research on Language and Networks, or “CLAN” for short, headed by Prof. Akhil Arora, Department of Computer Science, Aarhus University (AU). CLAN researchers have extensive experience with Wikipedia and, in the past, have collaborated closely with researchers from the Wikimedia Foundation.

In addition to the usual required documents, a complete application should contain the following:

• Motivation letter (up to 1 page): explaining your general motivation to do a PhD.
• Statement of purpose (2-3 pages): explaining your motivation to do a PhD at AU-CLAN, contextualizing your qualifications/background with the call, and a short PhD proposal. This document will serve as your project description.
• Three letter of recommendations

The project is part of The Pioneer Centre for Artificial Intelligence (AICentre.dk), a multi-university research centre led by Professor Serge Belongie at the University of Copenhagen, including Aarhus University, the IT University of Copenhagen, the Technical University of Denmark, and Aalborg University. The centre focuses on fundamental AI research, and within an interdisciplinary framework, develops platforms, methods, and practices addressing society’s greatest challenges.

Qualifications and specific competences:
We are looking for candidates with a Master’s degree in computer science or a closely related field, with a strong profile showcasing mathematical and algorithmic skills. Moreover, we will also consider candidates with a degree in basic sciences (e.g. Math, Physics, etc.) who have portrayed solid background in machine learning and natural language processing. Strong students with a Bachelor’s degree are also considered.

Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Aabogade 34, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark. 

Contacts:
For any questions, please contact: akhil.arora@cs.au.dk with the subject “Inquiries: PhD Position on Human Knowledge Seeking” (not following the instructions may lead to slow or no responses to your email).

How to apply:

For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see the Application guide. Please read the Application guide thoroughly before applying.

When ready to apply, go to https://phd.nat.au.dk/for-applicants/apply-here/ (Note, the online application system opens 1 March 2025)

1. Choose May 2025 Call with deadline 1 May 2025 at 23:59 CEST.
2. You will be directed to the call and must choose the programme “Computer Science”.
3. In the boxed named “Study”: In the dropdown menu, please choose: “AI-Assisted Human Knowledge Seeking (AIHKnS)”

Please note:

• The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.

At the Faculty of Natural Science at Aarhus University, we strive to support our scientific staff in their career development. We focus on competency development and career clarification and want to make your opportunities transparent. On our website, you can find information on all types of scientific positions, as well as the entry criteria we use when assessing candidates. You can also read more about how we can assist you in your career planning and development.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background.