Are you interested in understanding how people discuss politics with generative AI tools like ChatGPT? Would you like to explore whether such conversations foster political deliberation or deepen polarization? We are seeking a motivated PhD candidate to join our research team on the project Talking Politics with Artificial Intelligence.

PhD Opportunity: Political Use of Generative AI
The Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) is looking for a highly motivated PhD candidate for the project: Talking Politics with Artificial Intelligence. The project is embedded within the Political Communication & Journalism Program Group of the Department of Communication Science and will be supervised by Dr. Christopher Starke (PI), Prof. dr. Jessica Piotrowski, and Dr. Patrick van Erkel.

As generative AI (GenAI) tools proliferate and become an increasingly integral part of everyday life, people are turning to them for advice, assistance, learning, and companionship. While research on the democratic implications of GenAI has largely focused on the political biases embedded in large language models (LLMs) and their potential to generate disinformation, much less is known about how users actually engage with these tools in conversations about political issues. Emerging studies paint a complex picture: GenAI can help reduce belief in conspiracy theories and foster dialogue between polarized groups, yet it can also reinforce existing opinions and subtly shape user behavior. This research project addresses this puzzle by examining how individuals use GenAI to discuss political topics and how such interactions influence their political opinions.

What are you going to do
As a PhD candidate in this project, you will be working on a four-year research project that investigates how individuals use generative AI (GenAI) to discuss political issues and the potential consequences of these interactions. You will conduct three empirical studies to assess how GenAI affects political opinion formation, focusing on the trade-off between deliberation and polarization. The project combines survey research, online experiments, and data donation

Your tasks will include:

• Conducting a large-scale survey on how people use GenAI in political contexts;
• Designing and executing an online experiment on GenAI's effects on polarization and opinion quality;
• Collecting real-world GenAI conversation transcripts via data donation and analyzing them using computational text analysis
• Write academic articles for publication in high-impact scientific journals, and present findings at (inter)national conferences, following the principles of open science
• Support teaching activities at the bachelor’s level (up to approximately 10% of your time)

What do you have to offer
You:

• Have a (research) master’s degree in Communication Science, Political Science, or a related social science field or expect to obtain it before September 1, 2025;
• Have a strong interest in the topics of AI, democracy; and the opportunities and challenges of the digital society
• Are trained in quantitative research methods (e.g., survey design, experiments); in addition experience with data donations, computational methods are a plus;
• Have demonstrated experience working with R and/or Python;
• Are committed to open science practices (e.g., preregistration, data sharing);
• Have excellent academic writing and communication skills;
• Are fluent in English; proficiency in Dutch is a plus.
• Excellent spoken and written English, with proficiency in Dutch or a willingness to learn.

You are able to:

• Show curiosity in exploring insights from various disciplines and a readiness to learn new skills and methods as the project evolves, adapting to challenges with resilience and creativity;
• Maintain a proactive attitude, be open to feedback, and pay attention to detail;
• Manage your own time effectively and work independently while collaborating well within a team;
• Keep a cool head and stay organized when juggling multiple tasks;
• Communicate research findings clearly to both academic and non-academic audiences.

What else do we offer
The planned starting date for this PhD position is September 2025. The position concerns temporary employment of 38 hours per week for a maximum term of 4 years. The initial employment is for one year. Following a positive assessment and barring altered circumstances, this term will be extended by a maximum of 36 months, which should result in the conferral of a doctorate. We will put together a curriculum that will also include the opportunity to attend training courses and national and international conferences. You will also be tasked with teaching (Bachelor’s) students for up to approximately 10% of the contract.

What else do we offer

• An inspiring international environment, embedded in the ASCoR programme group Political Communication & Journalism;
• Access to a vibrant interdisciplinary network of researchers;
• A position in which initiative and input are highly valued;
• A position centered on your growth, with ample opportunities for scholarly and professional development, including the opportunity to take Dutch language courses;
• A supervision team with the goal to supervise and advise the PhD candidate in their work and professional development through regular team meetings;
• An enthusiastic and warm department that is open to new colleagues;
• A large, welcoming community of PhD candidates working on various projects within Communication Science.

You will work in this institute
This project is embedded within the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam. ASCoR is the research institute for Communication Science, structured around four program groups: Persuasive Communication, Corporate Communication, Political Communication & Journalism, and Youth & Media Entertainment. For more information, see the ASCoR website.

For this project, you will be officially embedded in the Political Communication & Journalism (PCJ) program group. Within PCJ, we address questions at the core of our democratic societies. For instance, how do citizens learn about politics in the era of disinformation and algorithm-driven social media? How can journalism survive and thrive? We focus on the interactions (and tensions) between politicians, journalists, audiences, and technologies in the modern digital media era.

Within the PCJ group and ASCoR at large, you’ll join a welcoming and dynamic research community where collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches are highly valued. Set in the vibrant city of Amsterdam, you’ll engage with impactful research addressing key challenges across the field of Communication Science.

Do you recognize yourself in this job profile? We look forward to receiving your application by May 22, 2025.

Please submit your application as a single .pdf file, including:

• Curriculum vitae, with grade transcripts from your bachelor’s and (research) master’s studies;
• Letter of motivation: Outline your interest in this topic, your readiness for the PhD project, and how you meet the selection criteria. If any criteria are not yet fully met, explain how you plan to develop the necessary skills. Optionally, include contact details of two academic referees familiar with your work;
• Writing sample in English, such as a master’s thesis or a recent essay.

Interviews for this position are scheduled to take place on June 10 and June 18, 2025.

Questions? Feel free to contact Christopher Starke at c.d.r.o.starke@uva.nl