Research Assistant / PhD Candidate (all genders) - Research Lab Systemic AI of the Cluster of Excellence Reasonable Artificial Intelligence

TU Darmstadt stands for excellent and relevant science. We are playing a decisive role in shaping far-reaching processes of global change—from energy transition to artificial intelligence—through outstanding scientific knowledge and innovative academic programmes. We group our cutting-edge research into three fields: Energy and Environment, Information and Intelligence, Matter and Materials. We are a university with strong ties to the Frankfurt Rhine-Main metropolitan region and a very strong international focus. We are committed to European values and European integration.

The Clusters of Excellence 3057 Reasonable Artificial Intelligence, RAI, was selected as one of 70 Clusters of Excellence to receive funding in a highly competitive process. The RAI Cluster of Excellence conducts research focusing on AI systems that acquire human-like communication and thinking skills, as well as the ability to recognize, classify, and adapt independently to new situations. The Cluster of Excellence conducts cutting-edge research at the highest international level with regular publications in flagship venues such as NeurIPS, AAAI, ACL, RSS, CVPR, SIGMOD, ICSE, Nature Communications, Nature Human Behaviour, Nature Machine Intelligence, and offers scientists in early career phases the best possible working and research conditions. RAI contributes to Germany's continued expansion of its international competitiveness in artificial intelligence.

The Cluster of Excellence is closely integrated with the Hessian Center for Artificial Intelligence (hessian.AI). The cluster has exclusive access to state-of-the-art GPU power (A100 and H100) through the AI supercomputers fortytwo and fortythree from hessian.AI, providing a reliable basis for cutting-edge research in AI training and inference. The Cluster of Excellence involves researchers from other universities, including the University of Bremen, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Saarland University Saarbrücken, the University of Tübingen, and Julius Maximilian University Würzburg.

RAI is structured into four Research Labs. Your tasks will focus on the Systemic AI Research Lab: While today's large AI models are powerful, they are also monolithic - huge, resource-intensive systems that are difficult to update, inflexible for different tasks, and prone to errors. A promising alternative is modular AI, where complex systems are composed of many smaller, specialised models that can perceive, reason, and apply common-sense knowledge while flexibly combining different inputs and adapting to new contexts. This direction is also in line with recent developments to improve large-scale models such as GPT-5, where a powerful reasoning model coordinates or infers over several smaller, specialised models instead of solving everything in a single monolithic system. The goal of Systemic AI is to explore fundamental questions about how to enable modularisation and integrate reasoning into the next generation of AI models. The goal of the SAI Lab is to create programming foundations that inherently support the compositional construction of large-scale AI systems from modular and adaptive AI models. Furthermore, we will also go beyond the construction of complex AI models through composition; we believe that the composability and adaptability of AIs will form the basis for a new AI-based computing paradigm. This paradigm will completely change the entire compute stack and enable more flexible and adaptive software systems.

Possible supervisors/mentors with a focus on Systemic AI

• Prof. Dr. Carsten Binnig: Data and AI Systems
• Prof. Dr. Jan Gugenheimer: Human-Computer Interaction
• Prof. Dr. Kristian Kersting: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
• Prof. Dr. Hilde Kühne: Multimodal Learning
• Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Mira Mezini: Software Technology
• Prof. Dr. Marcus Rohrbach: Multimodal Reliable Artificial Intelligence

For further information, as well as a list of the participating professors, please refer to the RAI website: https://hessian.ai/projects/reasonable-ai-rai/. See the hessian.AI website under 'Graduate School' for information on what it is like to be a PhD candidate in Germany.

Your tasks will be related to the research conducted in the Research Lab Systemic AI.

Possible topics for dissertations are:

• Programming methods for modular reliable AI systems, e.g., efficient and correct differentiable programming, exact, tractable inference for probabilistic deep learning, reactive incremental AI programming, (non-)differentiable orchestration and composition of AI models
• AI-based software development, e.g., assessing of AI coding capabilities, self-assessing and self-repairing coding AIs, novel architectures for AI code models
• Neural representations and retrieval of tabular data
• Neuro-symbolic methods for query processing
• LLMs for data understanding and integration
• Multimodal data management
• Anchoring adaptability in computational cognitive models
• Controlling adaptation via human- and AI-derived metrics
• Design guidelines for AI-based adaptive user interfaces
  
  

Candidates apply for the Systemic AI Research Lab, not for a specific PhD project and not for several labs in parallel. While the doctoral candidates should first discuss their respective research interests and identify possible supervising professors during the first year (lab rotation with permanently assigned mentors), the specific dissertation topics are determined by the beginning of the second year at the latest. The doctoral candidates are then supervised by two RAI professors, preferably across RAI Research Labs.

• University science degree (master's or equivalent) with very good performance in computer science, machine learning and artificial intelligence or related fields
• Specific technical knowledge in areas such as programming languages, databases, HCI, that enables collaboration on the central research questions of the Systemic AI research lab and the cluster
• Very good programming skills with current AI frameworks (e.g. PyTorch)
• Current AI frameworks (e.g. PyTorch)
• Current 3D Engines (e.g. Unity3D, Unreal)
• Very good English skills (spoken and written)
• Ability to cooperate in a dynamic and interdisciplinary research environment
• Ability to work both independently and in a team, as well as a high degree of motivation and proactive behaviour

Technical University of Darmstadt offers varied and challenging assignments, freedom to work independently, the latest technologies, good collaboration between colleagues in partnership, needs-based training opportunities and customised personnel development.

Opportunity for further qualification (doctoral dissertation) is given. The fulfillment of the duties likewise enables the scientific qualifications of the candidate.

• Development and organisation – comprehensive in-house training offers, including the opportunity for continuing education and development;
• Annual leave/educational leave – 30 days annual leave (full-time employment) and 5 days educational leave;
• Sustainable and mobile – eligibility to free public transport in the state of Hesse with the LandesTicket Hessen (Hesse StateTicket) in accordance with the currently valid collective agreement, in addition to opportunities to working mobile at times;
• Fit and healthy – free of charge preventive medical check-ups and a wide-ranging subsidised sports programme;
• Work-life balance – flexible working time models, plus BGM (Betriebliches Gesundheitsmanagement – University Health Management);
• Pension scheme – supplementary public service pension scheme (VBL) in accordance with the currently applicable regulations;
• University bicycle
• Family-friendliness/compatibility of family/care/career – (university-run) childcare services, child allowance (based on the collective agreement), childcare programmes during school holidays.

TU Darmstadt intends to increase the number of female employees and encourages female candidates to apply. In case of equal qualifications, applicants with a degree of disability of at least 50 or equal will be given preference. Remuneration is in accordance with the collective agreement for the Technical University of Darmstadt (TV - TU Darmstadt). Part-time employment is generally possible.

By submitting your application, you agree that your data may be stored and processed for the purpose of filling the vacancy. You can find our privacy policy on our webpage.

If you have any questions about this position, please contact Dr. Susann Weißheit, Managing Director RAI, +49 6151 1628548 or susann.weissheit@hessian.ai. 

Please note the information provided in the application form regarding the application documents to be submitted.