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They are Large, but should they be in Charge? Exploring the Possibility and Implausibility of Large Language Models in Social Science Research (Online)

April 23 @ 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

REGISTER HERE Registration will close at 11:59pm 4/21/2025. No late registrations will be accepted.
This 4-hour course will be held online only. Attendance is required as it will not be recorded.

Abstract: Take a glance through recent news or social media and you would be hard-pressed not to see mentions of chatbots and artificial intelligence (AI) methods aimed at generating text, images and other content. Recent work by Eloundou and colleagues (2023) explored the potential impact of these types of generative AI on labor markets, and survey research, specifically was among the top two most impacted industries. In light of this finding, naturally, we wonder: how will this tech change the work in our field? How might chatbot technologies or related software be leveraged to support, enhance, or expand our work by assisting with a common research approach within the social sciences: surveys. And even still, how might survey and social science, more broadly, contribute to the improvement of large language models (LLMs)? In this workshop we will describe how LLMs work and showcase some of the current ways that these models are being used within the survey research process chronicling their applications in the design, collection, and analyses of survey data based on a large-scale systematic review of the social science, AI and computer science literature. We will also discuss some limitations of this technology as it relates to applications within the survey research process. We will also pose some relevant ideas around how survey research can also contribute to the development and refinement of large language models. And we note that no part of this abstract was generated using a chatbot.

This course will count for 4.0 CSS short course credits.

Instructor: Trent Buskirk


Trent D. Buskirk, Ph.D. has recently joined the new School of Data Science at Old Dominion University as one of several founding faculty members. Prior to this appointment, Trent was the Novak Family Distinguished Professor of Data Science and outgoing Chair of the Applied Statistics and Operations Research Department at Bowling Green State University. Dr. Buskirk is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association and his research interests include big data quality, recruitment methods through social media, the use of big data and machine learning methods for health, social and survey science design and analysis, mobile and smartphone survey designs and in methods for calibrating and weighting nonprobability samples and fairness in AI models and interpretable ML methods. Trent has also been involved in various professional organizations serving as the President of the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research in 2016, the Conference Chair for AAPOR in 2018 and as part of the scientific committee for the BigSurv series of conferences which began in 2018. Trent has also serveed as an Associate Editor for Methods for the Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology. When Trent is not geeking out over data science, big data or survey methodology, you can find him playing a competitive game of Pickleball!

Registration fees:

  • UNC Chapel Hill Students: $0, with a $25 deposit to hold your spot (deposit is refundable upon your attendance for at least 66% of the course)
  • UNC Chapel Hill Faculty/Staff/Postdoc/Resident/Visiting Scholars: $50
  • University (Non UNC Chapel Hill) Student/Employee (must have active university email): $75
  • Government/Non-Profit/Corporate: $100

Additional course information:

  • Cancellation/ Refund Policy: A full refund will be given to those who cancel their registration no later than 10 days prior to the course. If you cancel within the 10 days prior to the class, no refund will be given. Please allow 30 days to receive your refund.
  • Zoom link for those attending online will be sent prior to the course. Registration must be made at least 1 day prior to the course date to receive the Zoom link.

 

For questions regarding this class, please contact Jill Stevens at jill_stevens@unc.edu

Details

Date:
April 23
Time:
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Event Categories:
,

Venue

Online
NC United States