STUDI DI SOCIOLOGIA - 2025 - 1. 60 anni di Studi di Sociologia. Persona, Società, Futuro.
La nuova frontiera della conoscenza: le sfide dell’intelligenza artificiale
STUDI DI SOCIOLOGIA - 2025 - 1. 60 anni di Studi di Sociologia. Persona, Società, Futuro.
La nuova frontiera della conoscenza: le sfide dell’intelligenza artificiale
The proposed research analyzes what the results of creative writing practices based on GPT-3 technologies are and how they are presented by the media. ChatGPT has appeared as a co-author in “fiction” such as children’s fairy tales, graphic novels, manga, screenplays, and novels. Despite the lack of enthusiasm shown by readers, the media describe a continuously growing phenomenon. The research analyzes how genres and creative writing practices based on GPT-3 technologies, such as ChatGPT, are presented in the media. In fact, the media favor the consolidation of a “technological imaginary”. And on the other hand, these innovations are already being used to produce texts that could be destined to change the canon in the future. The research is conducted on editorial productions and discourses circulating online. In particular, from the Amazon Books catalog we analyze which genres are favored in this first phase of using AI in the publishing sector. The main topics on which some pop narratives are based were obtained from Google News. The main themes describe a technological imaginary based on anxieties and worries. At the same time, the media contributes to reformulating some pop myths that act as an antidote to the fear of innovation.
This research examines discursive repertoires on the Turing test as a theoretical construct, as a validation test and as an argument that divides exponents of strong A.I. from exponents of weak A.I. In the conversation between human and artificial agent, does the latter develop a capacity for semantic understanding? Is it able to boycott its programming and adapt to the unpredictable changes of the human interlocutor? Starting from these questions, the topics that polarise the debate will be highlighted.
This paper aims to explore AIED tools (Artificial Intelligence Technologies in Education) use and perception in academia context. Forty-three semi-structured interviews have been conducted with professors at the University of Florence from different scientific fields. Three dimensions of analysis have been identified: i) the digitalization paths during and after the Covid-19 pandemic; ii) the opportunities, limits and risks of introducing AI tools in teaching and learning practices; iii) the institutional support and future solutions. Results show that AI tools application to teaching practices are still nascent at the University of Florence. A small number of professors interviewed use AI tools in their didactics. A slight difference exists among the diverse scientific fields. Hence, professors who are more favorable in introducing these tools in didactics, especially with experienced students, are those belonging to STEM areas (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). The paper highlights that crucial institutional issues need to be considered before a more substantial use of AI tools by both professors and students.
In a social context where interpersonal trust represents a scarce resource, the contribution reflects the usefulness and effectiveness of a digital application aimed at its promotion. Based on the initial usage experience of the beHippo App in the business context of a renowned multinational food company, the adoption of the application has been analysed in terms of process and outcome. The action research provided for participation in the team that carried out the project, combining quantitative data – related to the App usage and interactions recorded within it – with qualitative data, pertaining to the narrative reports periodically exchanged between the company’s spokespeople (those who had the role of Ambassador and Buddy) and the beHippo staff. Additionally, researchers both co-designed some of the detection tools used to monitor the platform and provided guidance on the prototyping process. Through the analysis of the case study data, this contribution offers an overview of the primary advantages and limitations associated with the adoption of digital tools to enhance trust and improve the quality of relationships in organizational settings.
The article explores the implications of the proliferation of AI and ADM systems in the field of healthcare. Reflecting on the current and future centrality of these technologies in this sector, the paper analyses the potential contribution of critical algorithm studies and the sociology of health in addressing the implications of AI and ADM systems for care relationships. Based on a critical review of prior research, the authors claim that the dialogue between these two research areas can provide meaningful insights into the study of technological systems in healthcare. Finally, the authors conclude by proposing an interdisciplinary research agenda and possible future directions in terms of policy-making.
Trust in the power of new technologies to create accessibility and break down barriers has often played a significant role in the disability universe, where the body becomes a privileged site for constructing meanings about limits and potential through the use of aids, prostheses, amplifications, and extensions. This has been complemented by a growing visibility of sign languages, which has contributed to the proliferation of research projects dedicated to developing technologies for deaf individuals, particularly 3D signing avatars. This contribution illustrates how such technologies are marked by various social representations, characterizing them as both top-down solutions for accessibility and as a creative tension for the empowerment of deaf individuals, while also raising ethical risks and social justice issues related to artificial intelligence.
The contribution presents the experience of Italian speech therapists in telerehabilitation (henceforth TR) and identifies their views regarding applicability and functionality, both in clinical terms and in terms of their relationship with the patient. In particular, the contribution aims to understand whether and how the distance approach, which drastically modifies the therapeutic relationship with regard to proxemics and interpersonal space, is comparable to the in-presence approach, as found in the literature. The qualitative research is characterized by semi-structured interviews, conducted by video call and targeting 18 speech therapists recruited through “snowball” sampling. The sampling method and the use of video calling by which the interviews were conducted may be limitations to the study, as they may have affected the nature of the data collected by reducing their diversity. The experience in TR turned out to be an opportunity to reflect on clinical practice and to understand that one can also rehabilitate by changing the type of therapeutic relationship. In addition, some themes were identified that might be useful for speech therapists who plan to apply TR in order to make this practice perceptually effective for those involved.
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