Centre for Media Studies
School of Social Sciences
Jawaharlal Nehru University
International Seminar On
Opinion Dynamics and Its Modeling: Real World V/S Synthetic Data
ABSTRACT: Research on opinion dynamics increasingly relies on computational and AI-based methods, yet key questions remain about how online consensus forms and whether it shapes decision-making and policy. Growing restrictions on social media data access have led recent research (2024–2025) to explore synthetic data that is the AI-generated simulations of social interaction as an alternative. This lecture examines the risks of proxy distortions in synthetic data and argues that many biases and irregularities present in real-world opinion must be explicitly accounted for in AI-based simulations.
Svetlana Bodrunova
About the Resource Person: Svetlana S. Bodrunova is a Doctor of Political Science and Professor at School of Journalism and Mass Communications, St. Petersburg State University, Russia. She has led seven research projects and published two books, several chapters, and over 180 research papers in Russian, English, and German. Her works, i.a., appeared in Journalism, International Journal of Communication, Digital Journalism, Media and Communication, Social Media + Society, and World of Media (all Q1). Her keynote speaking includes URBAN20 (G20 side conference in Jakarta, Indonesia) and 20+ other speeches around Russia, the USA, Europe, and Asia since 2017. Svetlana’s research interests include deliberation and opinion formation online, social media, Russian and European journalism, media and politics, and automated and AI-based communication studies’ methodologies. She leads the Center for International Media Research (CIMRES) in her university. Since 2013, she has been program chair of the international conference ‘Comparative media studies in today’s world’ (CMSTW). In 2024, she became ICA’s B. Aubrey Fisher Mentorship Award committee chair (one-year term) and an elected IAMCR International Council member (till 2028).
DATE: Monday, 9th February, 2026
TIME: 10.30 AM.
VENUE: Committee Room, CMS, SSS-1 Building
(All are welcome)