Harvard Science Division Launches Search for Five New AI-Focused Faculty Positions

The Science Division of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University has initiated a search process for at least five new academic positions focused on artificial intelligence, despite the institution-wide hiring freeze.

AI-Focused New Faculty Initiative

Science departments within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University have moved to bring in scholars who will utilize artificial intelligence technologies in their research. A thematic search proposal by Science Dean David T. Johnston allowed for new positions to be opened by circumventing the current hiring freeze. This process was implemented at a time when the university administration is placing a strong emphasis on the use of AI in research.

Announced Positions and Departments

The five new AI-focused academic searches have been planned to encompass at least eight different departments within the Science Division. The first three postings—including two positions in the Statistics Department and an interdisciplinary search combining life sciences with artificial intelligence—have been published on the university's official website. These positions were advertised more than a year after the faculty announced a freeze on personnel hiring.

AI Research Across Diverse Fields

A department chair in the Science Division confirmed that one of the planned other academic searches will focus on the fields of landscape ecology, remote sensing, and conservation biology. Another search focusing on quantum science and artificial intelligence, to be conducted jointly by the physics and chemistry departments, was confirmed by physics professors. These newly opened positions aim to accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence across various scientific disciplines at the university.