Please register for the CV & Online Identity Workshop below.

Online social networks are increasingly central in shaping human beliefs and behavior. These are also prime spaces where humans co-exist with AI: algorithms to personalize contents and provide recommendations are pervasive in online platforms. Link recommendation algorithms are implemented to recommend new connections to online platforms users, based on supposed familiarity, similar interests, or the potential to serve as a source of useful information. These algorithms influence the evolution of social networks’ topology, yet their long-term impacts on human social dynamics remain unclear. In this talk, I will discuss models to study such effects. I will discuss how algorithmic link recommendations interplay with opinion dynamics, and the potential long-term impacts of such algorithms on polarization. I will also discuss how such algorithms impact the visibility of minority groups and adaptations to restore fair recommendations.