Ai and data cultures

The main objective of this course is to build a critical understanding of digital cultures and their empirical study, placing a specific focus on how generative artificial intelligence affects both knowledge construction and creative processes. Students will be encouraged to develop an original research design and to conduct their own analysis of a digital phenomenon. Particular attention will also be paid to the challenges of using AI as a research tool and the implications for cultural and professional practices

At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- understand the fundamental principles of sociological research in the digital field and the role played by AI (both generative and non-generative) within it;
- apply basic methods of collecting, analyzing, and visualizing digital data;
- develop independent judgment in evaluating applications and discourses related to AI; recognize the limits, potential, and epistemological implications of AI in social research;
- integrate interdisciplinary perspectives to critically analyse digital phenomena and their social and cultural impact.