We are seeking a highly motivated and qualified research assistant to work on evaluating the environmental impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Dr. Sasha Luccioni as part of the 2025-2026 Chair, Social Justice and Artificial Intelligence - Fondation Abeona / ENS / Obvia / Université Laval. The successful candidate will lead cutting-edge research on developing new methodologies and standards to quantify the environmental footprint of AI systems and promote sustainability in AI development and deployment.
Key Responsibilities
- Conduct research to measure the environmental impacts of AI systems, including energy consumption, carbon emissions, water usage, and end-of-life considerations.
- Measure the energy requirements of different AI models for various AI tasks (text/image/audio) and different backends (PyTorch, Transformers, vLLM)
- Develop innovative methods and frameworks for lifecycle assessment (LCA) and environmental impact modeling specific to AI technologies.
- Publish research articles in peer-reviewed journals and present findings at international conferences and workshops.
- Participate in educational and awareness-raising activities (colloquia, webinars, roundtables) on topics related to AI and sustainability
Qualifications
- Studying towards obtaining a Masters or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field, preferably with a focus on sustainability or energy measurements
- Expertise or interest in lifecycle assessment methodologies, carbon accounting, or energy modeling.
- Programming skills in Python and experience with machine learning packages and frameworks (PyTorch, Transformers, python).
- Proven track record of publications in relevant conferences, journals or workshops.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively within an interdisciplinary research environment, with stakeholders in academia and industry.
- Experience in engaging with international organizations, standards bodies, or policy-making institutions on environmental standards is a strong plus.
Location: Canada (Montreal or Quebec city) or France (Paris)
Duration: 6 months, with a start date in Spring-Summer 2025.
Application Process
Interested candidates should submit the following documents in a single PDF file by email to coordination@obvia.ca.
1. A cover letter detailing their research experience, interests, and career goals.
2. A curriculum vitae (CV) including a complete list of publications.
3. A link towards completed code or projects.
We are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and diverse research environment. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including those from historically underrepresented or marginalized groups.