PhD studentship in Integrating Human-AI Teams into Investment Operations and Processes

Are you passionate about the future of artificial intelligence and its integration within the financial sector? Do you have a background or research interest in human-computer interaction, human-centred AI and real-world evaluations of intelligent systems? Our UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Designing Responsible Natural Language Processing is seeking one fully-funded (four years), full time, PhD studentship for the project: "Integrating Human-AI Teams into Investment Operations and Processes", with our industry partner Aberdeen Group PLC. This project is supervised by Professor John Vines (please see research profile here), and is funded via the Centre for Investing Innovation.

This PhD project focuses on redefining how AI can coalesce with human expertise in asset management. The objective is to design new forms of human-AI collaborative frameworks and interface design techniques that seamlessly integrate AI-enabled systems into financial workflows, enhancing the efficacy and trustworthiness of asset management processes.

We are looking for candidates who are:

• Have a background or research interest in human-computer interaction, interaction design, human-centred AI, or related areas.
• Are keen to address challenges and opportunities presented by AI in financial services.
• Are intrigued by questions around AI trustworthiness, automation balance, and workflow redesign.
• Is equipped with a strong academic foundation in a discipline relevant to the subject – e.g., Computer Science, AI, Data Science, Psychology, Social Science and Technology, Design.
• Are ready to engage in a dynamic, four-year research journey starting September 2025.
• Are collaborative in mindset, prepared to fully participate in our cohort-based learning doctoral training programme.

Benefits:

• Training as a cohort within our Centre for Doctoral Training, and access to our labs, workshops and research/design studios in the Edinburgh Futures Institute and School of Informatics.
• Publish research contributing to significant advancements in financial service and asset management practices.
• Close collaboration with industry experts and access to state-of-the-art AI technologies.
• A supportive, creative, and interdisciplinary research environment.
• Generous stipend as per UKRI rates for this academic year and additional research training and support grant.

This studentship is open to both Overseas and Home fee status applicants. The position is based at the vibrant Edinburgh Futures Institute, part of the historic and prestigious University of Edinburgh.

For more details and how to apply, please visit our webpage here. When applying, make sure to indicate this by using "Human-AI Teams" in the appropriate text boxes.

We also have recordings of webinars for our general PhD studentship competition, and a Frequently Asked Questions page, which applicants may wish to consult while developing applications.

Join us in shaping the future of investment operations and processes through innovative human-AI integration research!