Developments and limitations of digital data in the age of AI

This chapter looks to the future, outlining the horizons that can be seen in the debate around digital data and shedding light on the new directions that social research is taking. The focus is placed on the changes taking place in the production and use of data, with particular attention to the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence. The chapter explores the growing use of synthetic data employed to supplement, simulate or even replace real data in social research and explores the methodological implications of this trend. It concludes with an overview of a potential ethical approach to data, touching on the difference between public and private data and issues such as informed consent, privacy and the protection of personal information.