Student Assistant (m/f/d) – Self-Censorship in LLM-Based Chatbots (TUM-GIF)

02.12.2025, Studentische Hilfskräfte, Praktikantenstellen, Studienarbeiten

Student Assistant (m/f/d) – Self-Censorship in LLM-Based Chatbots (TUM-GIF)

Start: as soon as possible
Duration: initially 6 months (extension possible)
Hours: 5–8 hours per week
Location: Professorship of Ethics of AI and Neuroscience, Institute for History and Ethics of Medicine, TUM (hybrid/remote possible)

About the project

The project Self-Censorship in LLM-Based Chatbots (TUM × Imperial College London; GIF) investigates how large language models (LLMs) handle politically, ethically, and culturally sensitive topics across different regions of the world. Using a standardized prompt framework and NLP techniques, we evaluate the degree, form, and bypass ability of self-censorship in major LLM models.

Your role

• Assisting with data collection via OpenRouter and comparable APIs
• Running and documenting chatbot response tests
• Supporting analysis using Python or R (SBERT, MoralBERT, NER pipelines)
• Organizing and cleaning datasets for further research use
• Preparing well-structured documentation and reproducible scripts on GitHub
• Collaborating with international researchers on data organization and interpretation

What you bring

• Enrolled in a Master’s (or advanced Bachelor’s) program in Computational Linguistics, Computer Science, Data Science, or related field
• Experience with LLMs and NLP frameworks (e.g., Hugging Face)
• Familiarity with OpenRouter API or comparable LLM interfaces
• Confident working with VS Code, GitHub, and modern collaborative workflows
• Solid programming skills in Python
• Clear, well-structured scientific communication in English (spoken & written)
• Interest in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of AI ethics, language models, and digital society
• Bonus: previous experience with collaborative research projects, preprints, or agentic AI tools

What we offer

• Active participation in an international research collaboration (TUM × Imperial College London)
• Mentoring and co-authorship opportunities in scientific publications
• The option to write your Master’s thesis within the project (subject to supervision capacity)
• OpenRouter API access and technical infrastructure for experimentation
• Flexible working hours and a hybrid work setup
• Compensation according to the TUM student assistant salary table

How to apply

Please send your application as a single PDF (CV, short motivation letter [max. 1 page], current enrolment certificate, and a written sample that includes at least one self-generated graph from your coursework or a scientific project) to:
alexander.sobieska@tum.de

Subject: Student Assistant – Self-Censorship LLMs
Application deadline: 31 January 2026 (applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis; the position may be filled earlier)

For questions, please contact:

• Alexander Sobieska, MSc (alexander.sobieska@tum.de)
• Office Team: office.ethics@mh.tum.de | +49 89 4140-4041

Institute for History and Ethics of Medicine
Technical University of Munich

Data Protection Notice

Applicants with disabilities will be given preference if equally qualified.

Kontakt: alexander.sobieska@tum.de