Research Assistant in Computer Science

University of Bern

Position
Research Assistant (Hilfsassistent:in) within the framework of the project “Morality and Artificial Intelligence (AI)”.

Start Date
October 2025 (later start dates possible)

Duration
Initially limited until March 2026, with the possibility of extension.

Project Description

The way media and politicians frame artificial intelligence technologies can significantly influence public perception, regulatory decisions, and societal acceptance of AI innovations. Understanding the moral dimensions of AI discourse is crucial for comprehending how societies navigate the ethical challenges posed by rapidly advancing AI technologies.

This project examines the evolution of moral narratives surrounding AI in German-language media coverage and parliamentary documents from 1990 to 2025, exploring how the moral values attributed to AI have shifted in response to technological developments.

Tasks

The research assistant will provide technical support for the extraction, processing, and analysis of German-language media and parliamentary data concerning AI. The focus is on identifying and categorising moral language and values in public discourse.

Specific tasks include:

  • Assisting in the development and validation of the German moral-foundations lexicon

  • Data collection and preprocessing of media texts and parliamentary documents

  • Implementing NLP techniques for text analysis and moral value identification

  • Supporting topic modelling and word embeddings analysis to examine moral language contexts

  • Contributing to the analysis of temporal shifts in moral narratives around AI

Requirements

The position is suitable for MA students who are interested in the intersection of technology, morality, society, and digital governance, with the following profile:

  • Enrolled in computer science, computational linguistics, digital humanities, or related fields

  • Excellent working knowledge of data processing and NLP, including text preprocessing and tokenization

  • Familiarity with NLP techniques for sentiment analysis, topic modelling, and lexicon-based text analysis is a plus

  • High degree of self-motivation and excellent work ethic

  • Proficiency in German is a plus

We Offer

  • Working with an interdisciplinary team of researchers investigating the intersection of technology, morality, and society

  • Gaining research experience in computational social science and digital humanities

  • Opportunity to contribute to the development of innovative research tools (German moral-foundations lexicon)

  • Flexible work environment; remote work possible

Contact

Dr. Anina Schwarzenbach
Email: anina.schwarzenbach@unibe.ch

Place of Work

University of Bern (UniS)
Schanzeneckstrasse 1, 3012 Bern, or remote

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