A Kick-Start Tour

The purpose of this introduction is to provide those who are new to WASP-HS with an overview of the WASP-HS program and the WASP-HS Graduate School. For more extensive descriptions, the reader is referred to other pages on the intranet and on our external web.

WASP-HS Overview

The Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program – Humanities and Society (WASP-HS) is a research program which research tackles the challenges and impacts of upcoming technology shifts and contributes to the development of theories and practices of human and society aspects of AI and autonomous systems. The particular focus is on the ethical, economic, labor market, social, cultural, and legal aspects of the technological transition. In total, The Wallenberg Foundations are investing up to SEK 660 million in the WASP-HS research program.

In the past years, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation has made significant investments in research on autonomous systems, software, and AI through the program WASP. There is no doubt these technologies will have major effects on our society. WASP-HS was therefore established in order to extend and complement technological research and advances on AI with a strong investment in research in social science and humanities.

Participating Universities

The research projects of WASP-HS are located at 12 different universities and research institutes across Sweden. These universities and institutes are the following.

  • Chalmers University of Technology
  • Institute for Future Studies
  • Karlstad University
  • KTH Royal Institute of Technology
  • Linköping University
  • Lund University
  • Malmö University
  • Stockholm School of Economics
  • Stockholm University
  • Umeå University
  • University of Gothenburg
  • Uppsala University
  • Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Striving for Excellence

The vision of WASP-HS is to realize excellent research and develop competence on the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems with a strong investment in research in social science and humanities. The program includes an extensive national graduate school with up to 70 doctoral students, the creation of at least eleven new research groups across Sweden, support for twelve visiting professors to strengthen Swedish research and networking activities, and a number of research projects.

Research and Education

Networking and Collaboration

This multidisciplinary approach of WASP-HS will advance our understanding of the challenges and impact of intelligent and autonomous technology, as well as contribute to the development of theory and practice of human and societal aspects of AI and autonomous systems. This knowledge will be for the benefit of Swedish society and industry. The program facilitates a broad multidisciplinary network and encourages everyone within the WASP-HS Community to take advantage of this opportunity.

Internationalization