Using Generative AI to Study Economic and Social Behavior through Digital Data

Professor Balázs Kovács at Yale School of Management seeks a Research Assistant to explore how generative AI can transform our understanding of economic and social behavior using large-scale online data. The research leverages cutting-edge AI tools like GPT-4 to analyze millions of consumer reviews, revealing insights about market dynamics, consumer choice, social influence, and economic decision-making.

This position offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of AI, economics, and computational social science. The research examines how AI can help us understand fundamental economic questions: How do consumers make choices? How does social influence shape market outcomes? How do status and reputation affect economic behavior? How do cultural trends emerge and evolve?

Recent findings from this research program have shown how AI can detect authenticity in markets, predict consumer behavior, and reveal patterns in social networks that shape economic outcomes. The work has been published in leading journals including Management Science, Marketing Letters, and PNAS.

Research Focus:
The RA will use generative AI to analyze consumer behavior, market dynamics, and economic decision-making through digital trace data. Key areas include consumer choice, social influence, status dynamics, and cultural evolution in markets.