The AI Safety Research Group headed by Dr. Thilo Hagendorff invites applications for

2 PhD Positions in AI Safety

(TV-L 13, 100%)

Join the Independent Research Group and work on AI Safety research, evaluate capabilities in large reasoning models, and discover novel machine behavior – especially behavior related to deception. As a PhD candidate, you will have the opportunity to conduct high-impact research and work on your dissertation while contributing to the development of safe AI. The project is located at the University of Stuttgart, Germany. For a brief insight into our previous work, visit Dr. Thilo Hagendorff’s website at www.thilo-hagendorff.info.

Details

We are dedicated to innovative ideas and to conducting high-impact research. Our goal is to understand novel behavior in frontier models and ensure that developers avoid safety and security vulnerabilities. You should be motivated to empirically investigate LRMs/LLMs and address research questions related especially to deception in AI models, particularly in agentic settings. In other words, if you’re the kind of person who reads AI papers or listens to AI podcasts late at night just because you can’t help yourself – this position is for you. As AI technologies evolve rapidly, it is essential for us to stay at the forefront of the latest advancements and techniques. Therefore, we seek a researcher who is open to new ideas, eager to learn, and ready to explore different approaches to addressing safety challenges in AI. As a researcher in our group, you will be able to work on cutting-edge projects in a fast-growing area of AI research, publish your findings in leading academic journals, and present your work at conferences.

How to apply

Please submit your application in a single PDF file to thilo.hagendorff@iris.uni-stuttgart.de, including the following:

• Cover letter describing your background and research interests

• CV, containing a list of publications (if any).

• A document (1) describing your most important achievements (this can, but must not only include achievements that are valued by society or your peers, but also achievements that you value personally, like caring for a specific cause, learning from a mistake, etc.), (2) describing what are your favourite papers and why, and (3) describing what you think are the main limitations of current AI models.

• Certificates (Bachelor, Master). Please include a certified translation of the diploma for languages other than German or English.

• Reference letters (if available).

Please submit your application by 15.11.2025. Inquiries should be directed to Dr. Thilo Hagendorff at thilo.hagendorff@iris.uni-stuttgart.de.

The University of Stuttgart would like to increase the proportion of women in the scientific field and is therefore particularly interested in applications from women. Severely disabled persons are given priority in the case of equal suitability.

We look forward to your application!

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