Building Digital Resilience for Adolescents
Growing Up Online: Building Digital Resilience for Adolescents in the Age of Generative AI
This project is part of the UNSW Scientia PhD Scholarship Scheme
Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend and a one-off Global Mobility Grant to conduct international engagement activities.
As generative AI becomes part of everyday life, are young people unknowingly putting their privacy at risk? From AI chatbots and virtual companions to educational apps and social media, seemingly harmless conversations can reveal surprisingly sensitive information.
This PhD project offers an exciting opportunity to work at the intersection of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, privacy and human-centred computing to tackle one of the most pressing challenges of our digital future: protecting adolescents in AI-powered environments.
The research will investigate what personal information young people share when interacting with AI chatbots and other digital platforms, and how seemingly harmless details can be combined to reveal sensitive information. Through surveys, interviews and technical analysis of real-world applications, we will examine how these privacy risks emerge and evolve over time. Using machine learning, natural language processing and large language models (LLMs), the project will develop methods to identify and measure privacy risks across conversations. We will then design intelligent, privacy-preserving safeguards that detect risky disclosures, provide timely warnings and explain potential consequences in ways young people can understand.
The project combines cutting-edge technical research with real-world impact, helping shape safer AI technologies for future generations.
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- Residency: Domestic applicants only.
- Degree program: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).
You must meet the minimum requirements below to apply:
- An appropriate Bachelor degree with first or upper second class Honours from UNSW: OR
- A completed Master by Research, with a substantial research component and demonstrated capacity for timely completion of a high-quality research thesis; OR
- a qualification from another tertiary institution at a level considered equivalent by the Faculty Higher Degree Committee (HDC)
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Eligible applicants must contact the Primary Supervisor, Rahat Masood - rahat.masood@unsw.edu.au. If she agrees to supervise you, you will be invited to submit a formal application to UNSW.
Your email should include:
- CV
- Official academic transcripts
- A brief introduction about you and why you are qualified for this project.
- What interests you about this project and the supervisor(s) expertise.
Research project overview
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Scholarship value
$39,991 per annum (2027 rate) stipend for 3.5 years
$25,000 Global Mobility Grant (one-off) -
Supervisory team
Dr Rahat Masood (UNSW, Primary Supervisor)
Professor Salil Kanhere (UNSW, Co-Supervisor)
Dr Pamela Wisniewski, Principal Reserach Scientist (International Computer Science Institute, UC Berkeley, Co-Supervisor)
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Global research partner
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Candidate residency
Domestic
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Degree program
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
UNSW School | Research area
Faculty of Engineering | School of Computer Science and Engineering
Impact focus area
Pillar 9: Strengthen societal resilience, security and cohesion
Learn more
Supervisors
Do you have questions?
The UNSW Graduate Research School manages all postgraduate research applications and scholarships. Get in touch with our team to discuss your research interests and the next steps.