Petter Törnberg

Petter Törnberg is a computational social scientist and professor at the University of Amsterdam, specializing in complex systems. In this engaging conversation, he explores how individual interactions in online communities can lead to large-scale emergent behaviors like polarization. Törnberg discusses the dynamics of information flow and segregation, the potential of using LLM-driven agents for better understanding online dynamics, and the societal impacts of social media on journalism and political misinformation. He also reflects on ways to redesign platforms for improved community engagement.

Petter Törnberg, an Assistant Professor in Computational Social Science, discusses findings from his research papers on the performance of Chat GPT in interpreting political tweets, the ease of using language models in social science research, and the controversy surrounding large language models in social science.

Petter Törnberg, an assistant professor in computational social science at the University of Amsterdam and co-author of 'Seeing Like a Platform,' dives into the intricate ties between technology, politics, and social structures. He discusses how mathematical simulations can illuminate complex social systems and critiques outdated mechanistic views of society. Törnberg highlights the dual impact of digital technology, emphasizing its role in both empowerment and inequality, while examining the interaction of AI with democracy and the urgent need for structured frameworks.