Virginia Tech® home

2026 ISCE Spring Forum

Graphic promoting the ISCE 2026 Spring Forum titled “Can Generative AI Enrich Social Science?” scheduled for March 31, 2026. The design features a maroon background with an abstract orange network pattern along the bottom and includes the Virginia Tech logo and the Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment name.

Can Generative AI Enrich Social Science?

Generative AI offers powerful new tools to study human behavior, while raising concerns about bias, ethics, and research quality. During the Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment’s 2026 Spring Forum, Dr. Christopher Bail reviewed ongoing debates about its use and suggested how social scientists can leverage AI’s opportunities while addressing its challenges.

Meet the Speaker:

Portrait of Chris Bail

Chris Bail is a professor of sociology, computer science, political science, and public policy at Duke University, where he directs the Society-Centered AI Initiative and co-directs the Polarization Lab. His research explores how artificial intelligence and social media shape human behavior, polarization, and public discourse. A Guggenheim Fellow and Carnegie Fellow, Bail is the author of the widely acclaimed book Breaking the Social Media Prism, which influenced policy changes at Twitter to counter misinformation and polarization. His work appears in leading journals such as Science and Nature and has been featured in major outlets including The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Harvard Business Review. Bail frequently collaborates with technology companies, nonprofits, and governments to apply insights from his research and is a leading voice in the growing field of computational social science. Learn more about Dr. Bail here.