56. Exploring ChatGPT as a tool for doing Science Studies
Søren Riis, Roskilde Universitet; Matthew Spaniol, Roskilde Universitet;
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an indispensable tool in many branches of contemporary science. In recent years, climate models, big data analysis, and DNA sequencing have made progress as a result of AI. Science studies, however, rarely uses AI as a tool for doing research and analysis. With Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and Bing/Sydney, significant barriers are overcome in their publicly availability, versatility, and user friendliness. These new tools might hold unseen potentials for science studies researchers.
In this panel we welcome papers that use and experiment with AI-tools such as ChatGPT in various phases of research. We wish to try to answer questions such as the following: Is ChatGPT able to open archives in an informative and valuable way? Will this sort of software be able to generate new typologies of knowledge and uncover patterns in big datasets? How can it be prompted and applied successfully to do critical analysis? Can AI-tools help science studies foster and develop new methodologies? Can it test and create research hypothesis of science studies? Will social science become Big Science with the help of ChatGPT? How can we work with this tool in generative and creative ways, and where is caution required if not mandatory? What are the scenarios for AI-infused science studies hybrids?
The panel seeks to outline new research practices and reflections based on new AI-technologies and inspire further research of and with AI.
