What is FARI

FARI is a non-profit university institute on AI, data and robotics focused on the Common Good. We are jointly initiated by two Brussels universities (VUB & ULB) – uniting the interdisciplinary expertise across 10 research groups on AI, data, robotics, social sciences, ethics, and law.

We use Brussels as a laboratory to do research together and build bridges with public administrations, industry, and citizens, promoting urban and sustainable AI, with a focus on urban and public priority domains such as health, mobility, climate and energy, participatory and inclusive society.

About the team

The central staff of FARI supports both ULB and VUB researchers in their research and innovation projects, as well as companies and public administrations in the digital transition of society. How will and can AI, Data and Robotics make a difference in making our society more sustainable?To help the FARI research community as well as the stakeholders we work with (citizens, public administrations, companies), we are expanding the support team @BeCentral (FARI’s offices) to build a stronger institute and develop new services to support open innovation activities and the FARI objectives.

You will work in the Law, Science, Technology and Society (LSTS) Research Group at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, in close collaboration with a part of the FARI central staff. The team is project-focused, with a strong ability to quickly go from ideas or research results to concrete realisations (demonstrations or proof of concepts). 

About the position of FARI Postdoctoral: AI Regulatory Sandboxes (M/F/X)

Regulatory sandboxes aim to test new technologies transparently and to contribute to evidence-based lawmaking. This provides both public and private actors to assess their services, products and procurement processes from the perspectives of (new) regulatory regimen, and at the same time, to regulators to identify possible challenges to new regulation, such as that emerging around AI and autonomous systems. The goal here is to promote the development of innovative artificial intelligence solutions that are both ethical and responsible. The sandbox helps individual organizations ensure compliance with relevant regulations and the development of solutions that take human rights and principles into account.

Despite the wide interest in regulatory sandboxes applied to AI, there are so far only a handful examples of how these are to be designed, implemented, governed and used. Those initiatives come from Singapore, South Korea, UK, Norway, and Spain, and can teach us what works, and what does not. Regulatory Sandboxing is also a requirement of the upcoming EU AI act and will have to be implemented on a national level.

This research will be performed in association with FARI, and will be focusing on the legal aspects of the set-up of a regulatory sandbox. Specifically, this project aims at developing a prototype for a regulatory sandbox, and it will be part of a larger initiative around implementing a regulatory sandbox for the Brussels Capital Region (BCR). This will require close collaboration with other ongoing projects looking at (i) the technical aspects of this venture, and (ii) the establishment of a high-level strategy for a wide implementation of a regulatory sandbox at the BCR, considering the knowledge from other researchers, stakeholders from the public administration, and relevant and authorities. Ongoing initiatives also include AI use-cases, which will allow to test the regulatory sandbox, and provide feedback on its implementation.

This postdoctoral researcher should have a PhD in Law, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, or related discipline. The candidate should have expertise in the legal aspects of data and digital innovation, and knowledge about developments regarding the EU AI Act. The applicant should have good organizational skills, a taste for interdisciplinary research, excellent scientific writing and presenting skills and be able to work independently.

Key skills for our FARI Postdoctoral: AI Regulatory Sandboxes

– Independent performance of research in law, and AI technologies, with a focus on the upcoming EU AI Act and other pertinent legal instruments.
– Analysis of relevant legal frameworks, new regulations, discrimination, data protection, liability and responsibility issues, transparency, accountability, security, societal and environmental impact.
– Preparing questionnaires and conducting interviews with affected stakeholders and processing the outcomes in deliverables and publications.
– Conducting assessment of AI use-cases.
– Disseminating academic results in leading international and peer-reviewed scientific journals and top-tier conferences.
– Management and coordination tasks with ongoing projects and initiatives at FARI and LSTS research group.
– English, Dutch and/or French spoken.

Moreover

– We are looking for a curious and passionate personality with a strong affinity for new technologies and fundamental rights.
– We are looking for a creative mind with strong social value
– This position will be attached to the Vrije Universiteit Brussel or the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Therefore salaries and perks & benefits will follow each university’s internal sliding scales and guidelines. 

Start Date: As soon as possible

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