Inclusive and Responsible AI for Minority and Ethnic Groups

The world is entering an extraordinary new era driven by advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and new emerging technologies (NextGen) and media dynamics.  We view the rapid improvements as a unique, once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform and achieve significant, ethical and lasting benefits for our country and the world.  

We are looking for an exceptional candidate to join our wider Secure Ethical AI and Future Digital Emerging Technologies interdisciplinary group working across computing and engineering and media working in response to the UK government’s AI and Digital agenda and the coming research NextGen trends. We will work to help International, National and local organisations to better understand, utilise and protect themselves and the general-public, and to help realise the benefits from the NextGen Technologies. 

The conversation on AI highlights its potential for social and economic development in healthcare, education, industry, and public policy. It emphasises ‘Just AI’, ‘Responsible AI’, and ‘Trustworthy AI’, focusing on integrating ethical values and legal principles into AI systems. However, this may not be truly inclusive when considering whose ethical values are contextualised in these discussions since cultural contexts influence ethical principles. AI is inherently value-laden, with policies and regulatory frameworks embedding values into its design, development, and deployment. However, minority ethnic values, ethics, principles, and contexts are often missing from AI policy considerations, leading to bias and the exclusion of minority perspectives. This PhD project seeks to address this gap by exploring the ethical values and legal principles specific to minority and ethnic groups. The goal is to reshape AI policies and regulations to develop Responsible AI that genuinely respects and integrates minority ethnic values, principles, and cultural considerations. This effort will enrich the AI discourse, ensuring technologies are equitable and inclusive, reflecting global diversity. 

The proposed PhD draws from on a broad spectrum of academic disciplines which include the social sciences, computer science, and political science each contributing uniquely to the comprehensive study of Inclusive and Responsible AI for Minority and Ethic Groups.  Ethics as a line of enquiry will attend to questions around fairness, justice and the broader moral consequences of AI technology and inclusion and exclusion of ethnic and minority groups, therefore presents a foundation for establishing a framework for what Responsible AI should embody in an inclusive and diverse society. The computer science component allows for the understanding of the practical integration of ethical and cultural considerations into the design, development, and deployment of AI technologies while the political science disciplines will provide critical insights into the power dynamics and governance structures that influence the adoption and implementation of AI technologies 

The research is biased in the School of Computing with a direct link to working with our Nationally recognised Cyber Security and Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility (CCSR) teams. 

The PhD Programme 

The DMU PhD provides a solid education for a research career whether you stay in academic research or move to industry. There is a well-developed Researcher Development Programme which you will undertake alongside your research, supporting you through each year of your PhD. Working closely with your supervisors you will undertake open-ended research. As part of a vibrant PhD community in the Faculty you will have training opportunities which lead to presentations at international conferences and in writing papers in leading academic journals as the research progresses into the later stages of the PhD. The student will graduate with skills and knowledge at the for front of academic and industrial expectations. 

Entry Requirements 

You must have achieved or are close to achieving a UK Honours Degree with at least an upper second class (2:1) or a Masters Degree or an academic or professional qualification with relevant experience in the sector or industry which is deemed to be equivalent, or international equivalent 

Starting date: DMU has three intakes a year, and the successful candidate is expected to start either in January 2025, April 2025, or October 2025. 

How to apply: 

To apply for a research degree, you will need to apply via our Admissions Portal https://dmuhub.dmu.ac.uk/apply/index.html. You are required to provide the documentation as listed within section 5b at  https://www.dmu.ac.uk/doctoral-college/study/how-to-apply.aspx 

Studied at DMU previously? If you have studied at DMU previously, please submit the documentation listed in 5b via email to pgradmissions@dmu.ac.uk, not through the admissions portal. You will also need to complete and attach our application form and annexe form alongside the documents requested. 

You will need to select a programme code when applying from a list of research degree programme codes. Please select the programme code closest to your research proposal.