Örebro University and the School of Science and Technology are looking for one doctoral student for the doctoral programme in Computer Science, concluding with a doctoral degree.
Project description
The PhD student will be affiliated with the Department of Computer Science and will carry on research within the field of cybersecurity for embodied AI.
While cybersecurity threats in AI are often studied in software-based environments, the physical embodiment of AI in robots and autonomous systems introduces new, largely unexplored risks and opportunities. This PhD project will investigate:
- How embodiment and physical configuration affect the cybersecurity posture of AI-driven systems;
- The role of self-awareness in security, i.e., how robots can assess their own vulnerabilities based on their embodiment and operational state;
- How dynamic reconfiguration can enhance resilience, e.g., redistributing sensor reliance, modifying behaviour or adjusting control strategies in response to attacks.
Rather than relying solely on traditional security mechanisms, this research aims to explore how AI systems can proactively evaluate their own weak points and autonomously adapt to mitigate security risks.
Supervision: The doctoral student will be supervised by Dr. Alberto Giaretta (primary) and Professor Mauro Conti (secondary).