Assistant, Associate or Full Professor, AI & Society

Position Summary
The Department of AI and Society ( AIS ) at the University at Buffalo (UB) invites candidates to apply for multiple positions as Assistant Professor Associate Professor or Full Professor . The new AIS department was created with the goal of creating AI systems that are designed to be built by society for society. We seek to upend the dominant approach where AI systems are built with accuracy as the primary metric and then fine tuned for societal considerations. A successful candidate is expected to contribute to our initial attempts to make this vision a reality. To that end we are looking for candidates who can operate effectively in a team environment with a diverse community of students and faculty and who share and want to help shape our vision for a new department in the field of AI and Society. Review of applications will begin immediately with start dates in Fall 2025 and beyond; applications will be considered until all positions are filled. The AIS department seeks to hire interdisciplinary scholars whose research agenda connects the study of AI with humanistic and/or social scientific line(s) of study and are open to hire scholars with training in a wide range of home disciplines including (but not limited to) Social Work History Computer Science Engineering Public Health Digital Media and Art Education Psychology Sociology Geography Languages and Literatures etc. We expect a successful applicant to be a transdisciplinary researcher who incorporates insights across AI and the arts humanities and/or one or more of the social sciences. We envision successful candidates might include scholars who: Use methodologies theories and/or concepts from the arts humanities and/or social sciences to develop new kinds of AI (e.g. new models or new uses of existing models informed by humanistic or social scientific theory); Use AI to engage social science questions (e.g. computational social science) or humanistic lines of inquiry (e.g. digital humanities concerned with social change and justice); Develop community-driven (e.g. participatory-design-based) AI solutions to address societal problems (e.g. HCI Human Factors and other design scholars specializing in community work); Pursue critical work on AI through a social scientific or humanistic lens (e.g. critical algorithm studies or critical artistic work). These lines of inquiry are by no means exhaustive but reflect our belief as a department that 1) we cannot have AI systems that are built for society without undertaking meaningful analyses of the strengths and weaknesses of existing AI systems 2) that AI can if used effectively be an important tool in the social sciences humanities and arts and 3) that attempts to build AI for social good that do not involve impacted communities from the start of the design process are doomed to fail. Given that AIS is a new department initially all faculty members are expected to fully engage and participate in the building of a new department including but not limited to Developing a vision for the department that encompasses its role in enhancing training opportunities and engaging communities around issues related to AI and society Developing department policies and procedures Creating undergraduate and graduate programs including developing and implementing new courses in the the steady state successful candidates will be expected to teach courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels mentor graduate students advise students at all levels and maintain an active research program. The successful Associate Professor or Full Professor candidates should also have a record of scholarly accomplishments teaching experience and a record of sustained external funding through grants fellowships or foundations. We also expect any successful candidate to work with faculty and experts from multiple fields within the AIS department and/or the UB community in general. About the Department The Department of AI and Society ( AIS ) is the newest department at UB and reports to both School of Engineering and Applied Science ( SEAS ) as well as the College of Arts and Sciences ( CAS ). The department has been initially supported by New York State with the goal of being the epicenter of new foundational education and research at the intersection of AI and society. The University at Buffalo (UB) is a flagship of the State University of New York ( SUNY ) system a member of the prestigious American Association of Universities is the largest and most comprehensive university in the SUNY system with about 21000 undergraduates 11000 graduate students and 2500 full-time faculty. The College of Arts and Sciences is the home for the liberal arts at UB with 30 departments 16 academic programs and 23 centers and institutes covering the full range of the Arts and Humanities Social Sciences the Natural Sciences and Mathematics. The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences has about 8000 students across 10 academic departments. Funding of $400M was recently announced to launch EmpireAI located at UB and supporting the state-wide consortium. The prestigious NSF National AI Institute for Exceptional Education continues to innovate in the application of AI to address important problems across disciplines. Buffalo is a city with a rapidly growing economy eclectic neighborhoods world-class art galleries and museums a vibrant theater and music community the Lake Erie waterfront a city-wide system of parks designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and major and minor league sports teams (yes we are Buffalo Bills fans!). In short Buffalo is a well-kept secret. Its not just snow (although yes we do get snow) but a city where you can afford to raise a family while still enjoying a vibrant small-city life. And of course the awe-inspiring Niagara Falls is just 20 minutes away. The department will be located on the UB North Campus in suburban Amherst an area that combines outstanding public schools and services with a surprisingly low cost of living. Learn more: Our benefits where we prioritize your well-being and success to enhance every aspect of your life. Being a part of the University at Buffalo community. University at Buffalo is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and in keeping with our commitment welcomes all to apply including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Minimum Qualifications
PhD (or terminal degree) in appropriate discipline conferred by appointment date or verification provided that all requirements for conferral of the degree have been met.

Required Experience:

IC