Rob Procter

Title: Social Data Science: Are we There Yet?

Abstract: In this talk, I aim to review the progress that has been made in the development of social data science and some of the challenges it faces if it is to fulfil its potential. The availability of large quantities of naturally occurring, social data opens up the possibility of being able to study complex social processes in detail, at scale and in real-time. Advances in machine learning and natural language processing have been instrumental in advancing social data science but the challenges have also grown. Opinions on the value of social data science remain divided, however, with some seeing great potential while others question whether social data science will ever be capable of delivering meaningful and robust insights.

Bio: Rob Procter is Professor of Social Informatics in the Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, co-chair of the Department’s AI and Human-Centered Computing theme and a Faculty Fellow of the Alan Turing Institute, where he co-leads the social data science interest group. His research takes a socio-technical approach to studying factors shaping the development and adoption of data science and AI. His current NLP and social data science-related research includes creating tools to support fact-checking, promote evidence-based policy-making, increase citizen participation in democratic processes and facilitate the mediation of peace negotiations.