PhD positions: Verification of AI/ AI Safety
by Ekaterina Komendantskaya, May 20, 2024Heriot-Watt and Edinburgh Universities are launching a new PhD training program on "Dependable and Deployable AI for Robotics"
We welcome applications from candidates interested in verification of AI.
For details see: https://www.edinburgh-robotics.org/node/2197
Candidates with interest in verification and programming languages for AI are encouraged to contact [email protected]
As cutting-edge research in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) reaches the stage where widespread deployment is feasible, issues around safety, dependability and trustworthiness become ever more critical. These emerging applications need robotics to be certifiable, reliable and capable of interacting safely with the environment and users. There is a need for research and novel solutions to extend the applicability, scalability and usability of verification and certification methods for deploying robotic and autonomous systems. While AI methods are finding increasing adoption within robotics, much of this technology was not originally designed with safety and other important human-centred requirements in mind. Making AI truly applicable to, and deployable in, robotic solutions will require advanced sets of skills and new ways of thinking.
The UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Dependable and Deployable AI for Robotics (CDT-D2AIR, pronounced “dare”) is a joint 4-year PhD training programme offered by Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh. CDT-D2AIR will train students in the latest methods in AI, verification, design, and robotics, along with practical skills to ensure that robotic systems can be safely developed and deployed. The training programme combines state-of-the-art robotics, machine learning, optimisation and software engineering with verification and testing. This training programme will be conducted within the context of emerging legal standards and regulations, sustainability, ethics, Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), all through engaging learning activities, to create a new generation of graduates working on dependable and deployable AI for robotics.
PhD students will specialise in topics related to the four research themes of CDT-D2AIR, gaining a deep understanding of technical aspects and theoretical foundations:
- Trustworthy and Rigorous AI for Robotics,
- Robust Robot Design,
- Dependable AI for Human-Robot Interaction (HRI),
- AI for Deployable Robot Systems and Field Systems.
