Computational Human & Social SciencesCultural EvolutionArtificial IntelligenceCultural AnalyticsLongue durée
About
CultureLab (Computational Science of Culture) is a PSL University's a major research program, which seeks to develop new methods and models to study and extract knowledge from the large amounts of existing cultural data (written documents, image corpora, blogs…) in order to gain a more comprehensive and detailed understanding of the long-term evolution of cultures and societies.
Computational approaches in the human and social sciences are no longer seen as a niche interdisciplinary venture: they are an integral part of mainstream research. To make them yield their full potential, greater synergy is needed between their various applications, from data curation to AI-enhanced palæographic restoration, from simulations and modelling to data visualisation, and from textual data to visual culture and music.
Main research axes
Harvesting and annotating large scale cultural datasets (texts, images, …)
develop new tools and methods to effectively collect, curate, enrich and store large datasets.
A theory-driven approach to computational humanities and social sciences
use computational tools to answer research questions that have been independently derived from theoretical premises.
Inferring historical and social processes from data across multiple timescales
develop models and simulations that can replicate historical and social processes based on data extracted from cultural objects.
Social impact of computational analysis of culture and heritage data
develop partnerships with private actors (NGOs, start-ups, etc.) concerned with the digitisation, preservation and dissemination of minority or endangered cultural heritage.
dissemination results and computational expertise towards policymakers and governmental entities.
