AI-Powered Social Systems: Computational Social Science and Agentic Intelligence

What it is about

You will learn methods of computational social science with a focus on KI agents and their impact on social systems. In the end you will be able to analyze social networks, digital texts, and agent-based simulations, evaluate ethical and societal consequences, and implement your own data-driven project.

What you will be able to do

Understand and critically discuss concepts of computational social science and agentic intelligence
Apply social network analysis
Use Natural Language Processing for digital texts
Use agent-based modeling to simulate social dynamics
Assess the ethical, political and societal implications of AI-supported social systems
Design and practically implement a project

What the module consists of

Seminar (2 SWS)Theoretical foundations, case studies and critical discussions; guest lectures
Übungen/Praktikum (2 SWS)Practice: coding tutorials, tool training and data-driven projects

Teaching method

Interaktives SeminarConveying theory, case studies and critical debates
Praktische ÜbungenHands-on training with tools, programming exercises and project work
Projektarbeit (individuell und kollaborativ)Application of methods to real questions

What you should already know

Grundkenntnisse der Sozialwissenschaftenrecommended
Einführende Programmierkenntnisse (Python oder R)recommended
Vertrautheit mit Statistik oder Datenanalyserecommended

Assessment

Project workWritten elaborationPresentation

The module assessment consists of a project with several phases: research question, methodological design, implementation and analysis, and critical reflection. You submit a written report (about 20 pages, excluding appendices/sources) and present the results (20 minutes plus discussion). The grade is 70% from the written report and 30% from the presentation.

Reading list

Computational Social Science - Discovery and Prediction (Cambridge University Press)
Nigel Gilbert - Agent‑Based Models
Matthew Salganik - Bit by Bit: Social Research in the Digital Age

Dates

Exercise(SOT86122) AI-Powered Social Systems: Computational Social Science and Agentic Intelligence - Exercise

Tue16:45–18:15
H.001, Seminarraum (2910.EG.001)
15× · 13.10.–02.02.
- 13.10.
- 20.10.
- 27.10.
- 03.11.
- 10.11.
- 17.11.
- 24.11.
- 01.12.
- 08.12.
- 15.12.
- 22.12.
- 12.01.
- 19.01.
- 26.01.
- 02.02.

Seminar(SOT86122) AI-Powered Social Systems: Computational Social Science and Agentic Intelligence - Seminar

Tue15:00–16:30
H.001, Seminarraum (2910.EG.001)
15× · 13.10.–02.02.
- 13.10.
- 20.10.
- 27.10.
- 03.11.
- 10.11.
- 17.11.
- 24.11.
- 01.12.
- 08.12.
- 15.12.
- 22.12.
- 12.01.
- 19.01.
- 26.01.
- 02.02.

From the current semester, not binding.

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