Postdoctoral Position | Center for Humans and Machines

Job Offer valid until November 20, 2025

The Center for Humans and Machines at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development (MPIB) and the WZB Berlin Social Science Center economics group ISG jointly seek to fill a vacancy to study the societal impacts of artificial intelligence (AI): Postdoctoral Position (E 13 TVöD; 39 hours/week) 

The position is for 2 years, with the possibility of a one-year extension, and is available from fall 2026 on. 

Job Description

The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary team of economists, psychologists, and computer scientists investigating the economic, social, and cultural effects of artificial intelligence, especially addressing questions in labor economics or cultural evolution, and in how AI influences markets, social norms, and human behavior. 

Examples of possible research projects at the CHM include:

• How AI adoption affects labor market outcomes, such as learning and productivity.
• Behavioral and welfare implications of algorithmic decision-making or AI automation, e.g., the effect of large language models' assistance on consumer behavior.
• How AI tools (e.g., large language models, recommendation systems) influence communication, culture, or creativity.

Samples of relevant research projects are the following:

• Brynjolfsson, E., Li, D., & Raymond, L. (2025). Generative AI at work. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 140(2), 889–942. https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjae044
• Bastani, H., Bastani, O., Sungu, A., Ge, H., Kabakcı, Ö., & Mariman, R. (2025). Generative AI without guardrails can harm learning: Evidence from high school mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122(26), e2422633122. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2422633122
• Werner, T., Soraperra, I., Calvano, E., Parkes, D. C., & Rahwan, I. (2024). Experimental evidence that conversational artificial intelligence can steer consumer behavior without detection. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.12143
• Yakura, H., Lopez-Lopez, E., Brinkmann, L., Serna, I., Gupta, P., Soraperra, I., & Rahwan, I. (2025). Empirical evidence of large language model's influence on human spoken communication. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.01754

Additional responsibilities include: authoring scientific publications in relevant peer-reviewed journals; conducting detailed literature reviews; participating in academic conferences; and presenting research findings and project outcomes. There are no teaching responsibilities associated with this position.

Requirements

• Ph.D. (or near completion) in Economics
• Strong applied microeconometric skills and experience working with observational data and quasi-experimental designs.
• Demonstrated interest in the impact of AI on economic, social, and cultural outcomes.
• Proficiency in R and Python, and excellent written and spoken English.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively in interdisciplinary and international research settings
• Strong skills in scientific project management

Our Offer

The Max Planck Institute for Human Development offers an excellent research infrastructure, including support staff and equipment. It provides an international research environment, with English as the working language. The research group fosters a collaborative and inclusive work environment both within the group and in international collaborations. The following benefits are also available:

• A 2+1-year postdoctoral position in a highly collaborative and international environment at MPIB, as well as in the WZB Social Science Center Berlin economics group on ‘Inequality, Social Mobility and Growth’ (ISG, led by Nicola Fuchs-Schündeln) as part of the larger group of economists at the WZB and within the framework of the Berlin School of Economics
• Resources for independent research, data collection, and conference travel
• Access to interdisciplinary projects and computational infrastructure
• Competitive salary and full social benefits under German public sector rules (TVöD EG 13)
• Access to the training programs offered by the Planck Academy of the MPG
• Flexible working hours
• Option of mobile working (up to 40%, depending on work processes)
• Annual bonus payment in accordance with the TVöD (German public sector pay scale); 30 days of vacation, plus December 24 and 31 off
• Kindergarten partnerships with dedicated places
• Parent-child rooms at the institute
• Excellent public transport connections (U3 Breitenbachplatz, barrier-free)
• Job ticket
• Institute canteen and biodiverse institute garden
• Various offers related to “health in the workplace” (e.g., fitness room, massage services, yoga)
• Extensive support services, e.g., International Office, representative for disabled employees, equal opportunities officer, mental health support
• Diversity-sensitive working environment (e.g., exchange formats, networking, barrier-free and gender-neutral toilets)

Diversity and disability

The Max Planck Society strives for gender equality and diversity, because diversity, equality, and inclusion enrich our community and promote scientific excellence. We have therefore set ourselves the goal of increasing the proportion of women in areas where they are underrepresented and employing more people with disabilities. With this in mind, we expressly welcome applications from people who are often underrepresented in the workplace due to characteristics such as gender identity, disability, religion, ethnicity, and age. Our website gives you an impression of how we understand and live diversity and what opportunities we offer to respond to your individual needs: 

www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/career/equal-opportunities

www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/career/disability

Your application

Please use our recruitment platform for your application via the following link: EJM - Econ Job Market

The application should entail the following documents in a single PDF file: a cover letter describing your research interests (1-2 pages), your CV, a job market paper, relevant certificates, and contact information for two or more references. Please submit your application without a photo. Applications must be submitted by November 20, 2025, to ensure consideration. However, review of applications will continue until the position is filled. If you have any questions about the position advertised, please contact bialek@mpib-berlin.mpg.de.