Exploring Inequality in the Digital Age: MCDS Sponsors CSS Workshop on AI and Society

Under the theme “AI and Society – Exploring Inequality in the Digital Age”, the workshop addressed how AI technologies — from machine learning in policymaking to large language models — are reshaping social structures and research in the digital age. Participants engaged in lively discussions on both the opportunities and risks that AI poses for understanding inequality through a computational lens.

The event was jointly organized by MZES and the Mannheim Center for Data Science (MCDS) and served as a platform for networking, professional development, and methodological exchange across disciplines such as sociology, political science, computer science, digital humanities, and economics.

While the MCDS proudly supported the event as a sponsor, the workshop's success was made possible by the outstanding contributions of the organizing teams, speakers, and participants. A highlight of the program was the awarding of the first poster prize in the workshop series, sponsored by the German Association for Online Research (DGOF e. V.). Christel Piersig received the award for her poster on “Team-Communication in the field of eSports,” a study that showcased the use of quantitative methods to examine group dynamics.

We congratulate the organizers and contributors on a successful event and are pleased to support initiatives that foster interdisciplinary collaboration at the intersection of data science and society.