Reflections on Population Studies in the Age of AI

Abstract

In his editorial, former editor of Comparative Population Studies (CPoS) Frans Willekens reflects on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in population studies. Effective and responsible use of any tool requires a basic understanding of how it works, when it may be used, and when its use should be avoided. When this fundamental principle is observed, AI tools can enrich learning and research and help advance the frontiers of knowledge. Epistemic integrity and accountability remain essential; the advent of AI does not diminish that core value. Although generative AI is currently dominated by machine learning and relies on statistical inference to make predictions and generate content, rule-based AI, which dominated AI in the early days, is making a comeback. Students of population should critically engage with the expanding landscape of AI systems and resist the tendency towards technological monoculture. They should cultivate substantive collaborations with computer scientists to develop domain-specific AI systems that fully prepare population studies − with demography at its core − for the era of AI.

* This article belongs to a series celebrating the journal's 50th anniversary.