A new sociology of humans and machines
A new sociology of humans and machines
From fake social media accounts and generative artificial intelligence chatbots to trading algorithms and self-driving vehicles, robots, bots and algorithms are proliferating and permeating our communication channels, social interactions, economic transactions and transportation arteries. Networks of multiple interdependent and interacting humans and intelligent machines constitute complex social systems for which the collective outcomes cannot be deduced from either human or machine behaviour alone. Under this paradigm, we review recent research and identify general dynamics and patterns in situations of competition, coordination, cooperation, contagion and collective decision-making, with context-rich examples from high-frequency trading markets, a social media platform, an open collaboration community and a discussion forum. To ensure more robust and resilient human–machine communities, we require a new sociology of humans and machines. Researchers should study these communities using complex system methods; engineers should explicitly design artificial intelligence for human–machine and machine–machine interactions; and regulators should govern the ecological diversity and social co-development of humans and machines.
1864-1876
Tsvetkova, Milena
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Yasseri, Taha
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Pescetelli, Niccolo
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Werner, Tobias
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Tsvetkova, Milena
8c1178b4-625f-4495-8ad2-aa443d4f07f4
Yasseri, Taha
f80b4fe6-05ff-4a57-8167-e788b57b74c4
Pescetelli, Niccolo
d51e3240-483b-4e6b-90f4-58e1a5b83b16
Werner, Tobias
b1f092c4-e6b8-42e1-b615-4e150cd4b165
Tsvetkova, Milena, Yasseri, Taha, Pescetelli, Niccolo and Werner, Tobias
(2024)
A new sociology of humans and machines.
Nature Human Behaviour, 8, .
(doi:10.1038/s41562-024-02001-8).
Abstract
From fake social media accounts and generative artificial intelligence chatbots to trading algorithms and self-driving vehicles, robots, bots and algorithms are proliferating and permeating our communication channels, social interactions, economic transactions and transportation arteries. Networks of multiple interdependent and interacting humans and intelligent machines constitute complex social systems for which the collective outcomes cannot be deduced from either human or machine behaviour alone. Under this paradigm, we review recent research and identify general dynamics and patterns in situations of competition, coordination, cooperation, contagion and collective decision-making, with context-rich examples from high-frequency trading markets, a social media platform, an open collaboration community and a discussion forum. To ensure more robust and resilient human–machine communities, we require a new sociology of humans and machines. Researchers should study these communities using complex system methods; engineers should explicitly design artificial intelligence for human–machine and machine–machine interactions; and regulators should govern the ecological diversity and social co-development of humans and machines.
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Accepted/In Press date: 3 September 2024
e-pub ahead of print date: 22 October 2024
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 505958
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/505958
ISSN: 2397-3374
PURE UUID: 8840aadb-6436-4ef2-acb6-769e0a81365e
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Date deposited: 24 Oct 2025 16:35
Last modified: 15 Nov 2025 03:26
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Contributors
Author:
Milena Tsvetkova
Author:
Taha Yasseri
Author:
Niccolo Pescetelli
Author:
Tobias Werner
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