Description

The Economic Sociology group (ES) at MIT Sloan School of Management and the Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC) in the Schwarzman School of Computing jointly seek to hire a Postdoctoral Associate, beginning in Summer 2025, to lead collaborative projects on the impact of AI-generated content on the interactional and informational dynamics undergirding economic transactions.

This work could focus on contexts such as:

•       AI-Enabled Fraud and Deception: How do AI-powered scams exploit institutional foundations of trust to deceive victims?

•       Information Problems in Platform Markets: How does AI-generated content alter interactions in platform markets, affecting matching processes, transactional trust, and economic coordination?

•       Information Problems in Organizations: How does the use of AI-generated text inside organizations affect their ability to process information about their environment?

•       Institutionalized forms of Social Control: How might market, organizational, or legal processes limit/constrain/set boundaries to the harms produced through AI-generated content?

In addition, the applicant will be expected to contribute to the SERC/ES community and lead an undergraduate SERC reading group.

The appointment is for one year starting Fall 2025 (flexible start date), with the possibility of renewal for a second year. The Postdoctoral Associate should expect to work from Cambridge, MA for the duration of the appointment, with some potential for travel. The position is eligible for MIT benefits.

The selected candidate will provide supervision and guidance to students, and researchers while engaging in activities that support the general mission of ES and SERC. The Postdoctoral Associate will also collaborate with other post docs, SERC scholars, and instructors.

About Economic Sociology at MIT Sloan School of Management

The economic sociology community within MIT brings together researchers from different groups at MIT Sloan, Anthropology, and Computer Science. Members of this community work on projects that use a sociological lens to study economic phenomena. Researchers explore the organizational, interactional, and political dynamics in markets with a particular focus on social mechanisms behind market failures. The applicant will work together particularly closely with Susan S. Silbey, Anantha P. Chandrakasan, and Georg Rilinger.

About Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC)

The Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing (SERC) is facilitating the development of responsible “habits of mind and action” for those who create and deploy computing technologies and foster the creation of technologies in the public interest. Through a teaching, research and engagement framework, SERC is working to train students, encourage research to assess the broad challenges and opportunities associated with computing, and improve design, policy, implementation, and impacts. For more details about this cross-cutting program, please see our website.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

The postdoc’s time will be allotted as such:

●      55% contribute to ongoing and new research projects within SERC/ES;

●      20% lead a SERC scholar reading group;

●      and approximately 25% of time allotted for independent research.

●      Additional responsibilities as determined by organizational needs.

Supervision Received:

The position works closely with Susan Silbey (Anthropology), Anantha Chandrakasan (Electrical Engineering / Computer Science), and Georg Rilinger (MIT Sloan). The position requires ability to perform with minimal supervision.

Supervision Exercised:

No direct reports.  May monitor the academic work of research associates and graduate research assistants involved in specific projects.

Qualifications

1. A Ph.D. in Sociology, Organizational Studies, Socio-Legal studies, Management or related social science field required.
2. A strong publication record (or demonstrated potential) in leading academic journals relevant to sociology, management, law or organizational science.
3. Research expertise in economic sociology, platform governance, digital markets, or AI regulation.
4.  Experience with qualitative, computational, and mixed-methods research.
5.  Strong interest in human-AI interaction and information and regulatory problems in markets and organizations.
6. Attention to detail; self-motivation and ability to work on projects independently; proven ability to handle multiple projects concurrently and meet deadlines.

Application Instructions

Please provide the following as compiled in one attachment:

1. Cover letter
2. CV
3. Research statement of primary research interests including ongoing and planned projects (3-5 pages)

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide three letters of reference.

Priority review will be given to application materials submitted through careers.mit.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin. MIT’s full policy on Nondiscrimination can be found here.

Background Check Policy
Employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check, including possible verification of any findings of misconduct (or pending investigations) from prior employers.