Petter Törnberg
@pettertornberg.com
Assistant Professor in Computational Social Science at University of Amsterdam
Studying the intersection of AI, social media, and politics.
Polarization, misinformation, radicalization, digital platforms, social complexity.
Studying the intersection of AI, social media, and politics.
Polarization, misinformation, radicalization, digital platforms, social complexity.
Pinned
Petter Törnberg
@pettertornberg.com
· Jan 14
Misinformation isn't random - it's strategic. 🧵
In the first cross-national comparative study, we examine 32M tweets from politicians.
We find that misinformation is not a general condition: it is driven by populist radical right parties.
with @julianachueri.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1177/1940...
In the first cross-national comparative study, we examine 32M tweets from politicians.
We find that misinformation is not a general condition: it is driven by populist radical right parties.
with @julianachueri.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1177/1940...
📕 Review of “Seeing like a Platform”
“What makes this book essential reading is its recognition that digital technology’s democratic potential and authoritarian dangers are not separate phenomena but two faces of the same coin.”
albertoblumenscheincruz.substack.com/p/review-see...
“What makes this book essential reading is its recognition that digital technology’s democratic potential and authoritarian dangers are not separate phenomena but two faces of the same coin.”
albertoblumenscheincruz.substack.com/p/review-see...
Review: “Seeing Like a Platform”
Digital Modernity’s New Forms of Power -- By Petter Törnberg and Justus Uitermark -- Routledge, 2025
albertoblumenscheincruz.substack.com
December 18, 2025 at 11:37 AM
📕 Review of “Seeing like a Platform”
“What makes this book essential reading is its recognition that digital technology’s democratic potential and authoritarian dangers are not separate phenomena but two faces of the same coin.”
albertoblumenscheincruz.substack.com/p/review-see...
“What makes this book essential reading is its recognition that digital technology’s democratic potential and authoritarian dangers are not separate phenomena but two faces of the same coin.”
albertoblumenscheincruz.substack.com/p/review-see...
Reposted by Petter Törnberg
I’m about a quarter of the way through this open access* book and it’s SO GOOD, so far at least lol, I really want to talk about it with someone
* www.taylorfrancis.com/reader/downl...
* www.taylorfrancis.com/reader/downl...
December 16, 2025 at 3:50 AM
I’m about a quarter of the way through this open access* book and it’s SO GOOD, so far at least lol, I really want to talk about it with someone
* www.taylorfrancis.com/reader/downl...
* www.taylorfrancis.com/reader/downl...
This paper is now out in Artificial Intelligence Review
Bottom line: using LLMs to "simulate humans" sits in a no-man’s-land between theory and empirics—too opaque to function as a model, too ungrounded to count as evidence.
Validation remains the core challenge.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Bottom line: using LLMs to "simulate humans" sits in a no-man’s-land between theory and empirics—too opaque to function as a model, too ungrounded to count as evidence.
Validation remains the core challenge.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
December 8, 2025 at 8:31 AM
This paper is now out in Artificial Intelligence Review
Bottom line: using LLMs to "simulate humans" sits in a no-man’s-land between theory and empirics—too opaque to function as a model, too ungrounded to count as evidence.
Validation remains the core challenge.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Bottom line: using LLMs to "simulate humans" sits in a no-man’s-land between theory and empirics—too opaque to function as a model, too ungrounded to count as evidence.
Validation remains the core challenge.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
📘 Book launch: Seeing Like a Platform (with Justus Uitermark)
🗓 10 Dec | Amsterdam
A conversation on platforms, politics, power, and digital modernity - followed by drinks.
Hope to see you there!
👉 Details & RSVP:
globaldigitalcultures.uva.nl/content/even...
🗓 10 Dec | Amsterdam
A conversation on platforms, politics, power, and digital modernity - followed by drinks.
Hope to see you there!
👉 Details & RSVP:
globaldigitalcultures.uva.nl/content/even...
Book Launch | Seeing Like a Platform (Justus Uitermark & Petter Törnberg) - Global Digital Cultures
On Wednesday 10 december (18:00-19:30), Petter Törnberg (Assistant Professor, Institute for Language, Logic and Computation, UvA) and Justus Uitermark (Professor of Urban Geography, Faculty of Social ...
globaldigitalcultures.uva.nl
December 7, 2025 at 11:13 PM
📘 Book launch: Seeing Like a Platform (with Justus Uitermark)
🗓 10 Dec | Amsterdam
A conversation on platforms, politics, power, and digital modernity - followed by drinks.
Hope to see you there!
👉 Details & RSVP:
globaldigitalcultures.uva.nl/content/even...
🗓 10 Dec | Amsterdam
A conversation on platforms, politics, power, and digital modernity - followed by drinks.
Hope to see you there!
👉 Details & RSVP:
globaldigitalcultures.uva.nl/content/even...
Reposted by Petter Törnberg
Featured article by Anton Törnberg and @pettertornberg.com: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
The aesthetics of climate misinformation: computational multimodal framing analysis with BERTopic and CLIP
Climate misinformation today is increasingly conveyed through multimodal content, where images and text interact to shape meaning, emotional resonance, and enhance credibility. Yet, research on cli...
www.tandfonline.com
December 1, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Featured article by Anton Törnberg and @pettertornberg.com: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Pretty wild: I just learned that, in terms of Altmetric, this paper became the most impactful Political Science article of the past five years, and the 4th most impactful EVER. 😳
Altmetric is... well, Altmetric. But still, kind of surreal.
Altmetric is... well, Altmetric. But still, kind of surreal.
Misinformation isn't random - it's strategic. 🧵
In the first cross-national comparative study, we examine 32M tweets from politicians.
We find that misinformation is not a general condition: it is driven by populist radical right parties.
with @julianachueri.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1177/1940...
In the first cross-national comparative study, we examine 32M tweets from politicians.
We find that misinformation is not a general condition: it is driven by populist radical right parties.
with @julianachueri.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1177/1940...
November 27, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Pretty wild: I just learned that, in terms of Altmetric, this paper became the most impactful Political Science article of the past five years, and the 4th most impactful EVER. 😳
Altmetric is... well, Altmetric. But still, kind of surreal.
Altmetric is... well, Altmetric. But still, kind of surreal.
Reposted by Petter Törnberg
.@pettertornberg.com's keynote in Oxford was fantastic.
What comes after the traditional model of social media ends?
1) Algorithmic broadcasting platforms (everything turning into TikTok and Instagram reels)
2) Private and semi-private spheres (like group chats)
3) Chatbots and LLMs as new media
What comes after the traditional model of social media ends?
1) Algorithmic broadcasting platforms (everything turning into TikTok and Instagram reels)
2) Private and semi-private spheres (like group chats)
3) Chatbots and LLMs as new media
November 19, 2025 at 9:07 AM
.@pettertornberg.com's keynote in Oxford was fantastic.
What comes after the traditional model of social media ends?
1) Algorithmic broadcasting platforms (everything turning into TikTok and Instagram reels)
2) Private and semi-private spheres (like group chats)
3) Chatbots and LLMs as new media
What comes after the traditional model of social media ends?
1) Algorithmic broadcasting platforms (everything turning into TikTok and Instagram reels)
2) Private and semi-private spheres (like group chats)
3) Chatbots and LLMs as new media
LLMs are now widely used in social science as stand-ins for humans—assuming they can produce realistic, human-like text
But... can they? We don’t actually know.
In our new study, we develop a Computational Turing Test.
And our findings are striking:
LLMs may be far less human-like than we think.🧵
But... can they? We don’t actually know.
In our new study, we develop a Computational Turing Test.
And our findings are striking:
LLMs may be far less human-like than we think.🧵
Computational Turing Test Reveals Systematic Differences Between Human and AI Language
Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly used in the social sciences to simulate human behavior, based on the assumption that they can generate realistic, human-like text. Yet this assumption rem...
arxiv.org
November 7, 2025 at 11:13 AM
LLMs are now widely used in social science as stand-ins for humans—assuming they can produce realistic, human-like text
But... can they? We don’t actually know.
In our new study, we develop a Computational Turing Test.
And our findings are striking:
LLMs may be far less human-like than we think.🧵
But... can they? We don’t actually know.
In our new study, we develop a Computational Turing Test.
And our findings are striking:
LLMs may be far less human-like than we think.🧵
Most people study what misinformation says.
We decided to study how it looks.
Using novel multi-modal AI methods, we study 17,848 posts by top climate denial accounts - and uncovered a new front in the misinformation war.
Here's what it means 🧵
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
We decided to study how it looks.
Using novel multi-modal AI methods, we study 17,848 posts by top climate denial accounts - and uncovered a new front in the misinformation war.
Here's what it means 🧵
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
November 4, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Most people study what misinformation says.
We decided to study how it looks.
Using novel multi-modal AI methods, we study 17,848 posts by top climate denial accounts - and uncovered a new front in the misinformation war.
Here's what it means 🧵
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
We decided to study how it looks.
Using novel multi-modal AI methods, we study 17,848 posts by top climate denial accounts - and uncovered a new front in the misinformation war.
Here's what it means 🧵
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Is social media dying? How much has Twitter changed as it became X? Which party now dominates the conversation?
Using nationally representative ANES data from 2020 & 2024, I map how the U.S. social media landscape has transformed.
Here are the key take-aways 🧵
arxiv.org/abs/2510.25417
Using nationally representative ANES data from 2020 & 2024, I map how the U.S. social media landscape has transformed.
Here are the key take-aways 🧵
arxiv.org/abs/2510.25417
October 30, 2025 at 8:09 AM
Is social media dying? How much has Twitter changed as it became X? Which party now dominates the conversation?
Using nationally representative ANES data from 2020 & 2024, I map how the U.S. social media landscape has transformed.
Here are the key take-aways 🧵
arxiv.org/abs/2510.25417
Using nationally representative ANES data from 2020 & 2024, I map how the U.S. social media landscape has transformed.
Here are the key take-aways 🧵
arxiv.org/abs/2510.25417
@jerusalem.bsky.social Will The Argument bring back 'Good on Paper' in some form? Please do, its loss has left a huge hole in my podcast app!
And there are a lot of persuasive papers out there!
And there are a lot of persuasive papers out there!
September 30, 2025 at 6:33 PM
@jerusalem.bsky.social Will The Argument bring back 'Good on Paper' in some form? Please do, its loss has left a huge hole in my podcast app!
And there are a lot of persuasive papers out there!
And there are a lot of persuasive papers out there!
Reposted by Petter Törnberg
🚨 New #SingularityFM 🎙
What do Facebook, Google & TikTok really see when they look at us — and what do they miss?
My latest interview with @pettertornberg.com explores algorithmic tyranny, digital modernity & the future of power.
👉 snglrty.co/4mDn1Gb
What do Facebook, Google & TikTok really see when they look at us — and what do they miss?
My latest interview with @pettertornberg.com explores algorithmic tyranny, digital modernity & the future of power.
👉 snglrty.co/4mDn1Gb
Petter Törnberg: Algorithmic Tyranny & Digital Modernity
See this interview to discover Petter Törnberg’s insights on algorithmic tyranny, digital modernity, and how platforms reshape power.
snglrty.co
September 30, 2025 at 12:22 PM
🚨 New #SingularityFM 🎙
What do Facebook, Google & TikTok really see when they look at us — and what do they miss?
My latest interview with @pettertornberg.com explores algorithmic tyranny, digital modernity & the future of power.
👉 snglrty.co/4mDn1Gb
What do Facebook, Google & TikTok really see when they look at us — and what do they miss?
My latest interview with @pettertornberg.com explores algorithmic tyranny, digital modernity & the future of power.
👉 snglrty.co/4mDn1Gb
Reposted by Petter Törnberg
Not just one but two podcasts featuring @pettertornberg.com who wrote some of the most interesting papers in recent years.
1: @seanmcarroll.bsky.social, below
2: Singularity Weblog: Algorithmic Tyranny, the Rise of Digital Modernity and Seeing Like a Platform www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJrV...
1: @seanmcarroll.bsky.social, below
2: Singularity Weblog: Algorithmic Tyranny, the Rise of Digital Modernity and Seeing Like a Platform www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJrV...
September 29, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Not just one but two podcasts featuring @pettertornberg.com who wrote some of the most interesting papers in recent years.
1: @seanmcarroll.bsky.social, below
2: Singularity Weblog: Algorithmic Tyranny, the Rise of Digital Modernity and Seeing Like a Platform www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJrV...
1: @seanmcarroll.bsky.social, below
2: Singularity Weblog: Algorithmic Tyranny, the Rise of Digital Modernity and Seeing Like a Platform www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJrV...
Such a crazy and amazing experience to be on a podcast of which I'm a huge fan!
Mindscape 330 | Petter Törnberg @pettertornberg.com on the Dynamics of (Mis)Information. #MindscapePodcast
www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2025...
www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2025...
September 29, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Such a crazy and amazing experience to be on a podcast of which I'm a huge fan!
Reposted by Petter Törnberg
www.flamman.se/valfardsstat...
It was great to talk to @flamman.se about the link between weak welfare state protection and the expansion of online platform work in Europe. @pettertornberg.com
It was great to talk to @flamman.se about the link between weak welfare state protection and the expansion of online platform work in Europe. @pettertornberg.com
Välfärdsstat ut, gigjobb in
Gigjobb och nedmonterad välfärd går hand i hand
www.flamman.se
September 27, 2025 at 12:30 PM
www.flamman.se/valfardsstat...
It was great to talk to @flamman.se about the link between weak welfare state protection and the expansion of online platform work in Europe. @pettertornberg.com
It was great to talk to @flamman.se about the link between weak welfare state protection and the expansion of online platform work in Europe. @pettertornberg.com
And I now received an automatic request to review a revised version.
This is depressing. Academia is becoming AI slop.
This is depressing. Academia is becoming AI slop.
I flagged to the editor that the paper I reviewed looked AI-generated.
Immediately received a generic AI-generated email from the editor.
The AI future is here!
Immediately received a generic AI-generated email from the editor.
The AI future is here!
September 19, 2025 at 11:57 AM
And I now received an automatic request to review a revised version.
This is depressing. Academia is becoming AI slop.
This is depressing. Academia is becoming AI slop.
Reposted by Petter Törnberg
New article!
The aesthetics of climate misinformation: computational multimodal framing analysis with BERTopic and CLIP by Anton Törnberg & Petter Törnberg / @pettertornberg.com
doi.org/10.1080/0964...
The aesthetics of climate misinformation: computational multimodal framing analysis with BERTopic and CLIP by Anton Törnberg & Petter Törnberg / @pettertornberg.com
doi.org/10.1080/0964...
September 17, 2025 at 6:12 AM
New article!
The aesthetics of climate misinformation: computational multimodal framing analysis with BERTopic and CLIP by Anton Törnberg & Petter Törnberg / @pettertornberg.com
doi.org/10.1080/0964...
The aesthetics of climate misinformation: computational multimodal framing analysis with BERTopic and CLIP by Anton Törnberg & Petter Törnberg / @pettertornberg.com
doi.org/10.1080/0964...
The one-plot summary of what Elon Musk did to Twitter.
This is where it gets wild 👇
In 2020, Twitter use was highest among people who loved Democrats and disliked Republicans.
By 2024, it completely flipped: the more polarized Republican you are, the more you use Twitter/X.
From blue stronghold → red megaphone. All for just $44 billion.
In 2020, Twitter use was highest among people who loved Democrats and disliked Republicans.
By 2024, it completely flipped: the more polarized Republican you are, the more you use Twitter/X.
From blue stronghold → red megaphone. All for just $44 billion.
September 16, 2025 at 11:40 AM
The one-plot summary of what Elon Musk did to Twitter.
How much did Elon's takeover reshape Twitter/X? How did the partisan tilt of social media use change from 2020 to 2024?
The ANES 2024 data is out — and this thread answers all your burning questions! 🔥
The ANES 2024 data is out — and this thread answers all your burning questions! 🔥
September 16, 2025 at 11:20 AM
How much did Elon's takeover reshape Twitter/X? How did the partisan tilt of social media use change from 2020 to 2024?
The ANES 2024 data is out — and this thread answers all your burning questions! 🔥
The ANES 2024 data is out — and this thread answers all your burning questions! 🔥
I was interviewed on New Books Network Podcast with Nicholas McCay on Justus and my book "Seeing Like a Platform" (available open access!)
newbooksnetwork.com/seeing-like-...
newbooksnetwork.com/seeing-like-...
Petter Törnberg and Justus Uitermark, "Seeing Like a Platform: An Inquiry into the Condition of Digital Modernity" (Taylor & Francis, 2025) - New Books Network
newbooksnetwork.com
September 10, 2025 at 12:46 PM
I was interviewed on New Books Network Podcast with Nicholas McCay on Justus and my book "Seeing Like a Platform" (available open access!)
newbooksnetwork.com/seeing-like-...
newbooksnetwork.com/seeing-like-...
I was interviewed on Justin Hendrix's TechPolicy podcast about 'Seeing Like a Platform: An Inquiry into the Condition of Digital Modernity', that sets out to address the “entanglement of epistemology, technology, and politics in digital modernity."
www.techpolicy.press/seeing-like-...
www.techpolicy.press/seeing-like-...
'Seeing Like a Platform' — A Conversation with Petter Törnberg | TechPolicy.Press
With Justus Uitermark, Törnberg is one of the authors of the new book Seeing Like a Platform: An Inquiry into the Condition of Digital Modernity.
www.techpolicy.press
September 10, 2025 at 11:31 AM
I was interviewed on Justin Hendrix's TechPolicy podcast about 'Seeing Like a Platform: An Inquiry into the Condition of Digital Modernity', that sets out to address the “entanglement of epistemology, technology, and politics in digital modernity."
www.techpolicy.press/seeing-like-...
www.techpolicy.press/seeing-like-...
Reposted by Petter Törnberg
Algorithms are not necessary for the creation of echo chambers.
All that is required is people muting or leaving when they have a bad interaction. Then an echo chamber arises with minimal preferences.
From @pettertornberg.com
#psych
arxiv.org/pdf/2508.10466
All that is required is people muting or leaving when they have a bad interaction. Then an echo chamber arises with minimal preferences.
From @pettertornberg.com
#psych
arxiv.org/pdf/2508.10466
September 9, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Algorithms are not necessary for the creation of echo chambers.
All that is required is people muting or leaving when they have a bad interaction. Then an echo chamber arises with minimal preferences.
From @pettertornberg.com
#psych
arxiv.org/pdf/2508.10466
All that is required is people muting or leaving when they have a bad interaction. Then an echo chamber arises with minimal preferences.
From @pettertornberg.com
#psych
arxiv.org/pdf/2508.10466
Reposted by Petter Törnberg
Destabilisieren #Musk & Co. durch die Algorithmen sozialer Netzwerke die liberale Demokratie?
So einfach ist die Sache nicht, zeigen @maiklarooij.nl und @pettertornberg.com von der Universität Amsterdam. Spannend, wie sich Sozialforschung durch #KI weiterentwickelt.
www.faz.net/aktuell/feui...
So einfach ist die Sache nicht, zeigen @maiklarooij.nl und @pettertornberg.com von der Universität Amsterdam. Spannend, wie sich Sozialforschung durch #KI weiterentwickelt.
www.faz.net/aktuell/feui...
Studie simuliert Netzwerk: Ist Social Media von Natur aus asozial?
Zwei Forscher kreieren einen Social-Media-Kanal mit 500 Nutzern und schauen, was passiert. Es geht zu, wie man es von existierenden Plattformen kennt. Das könnte damit zu tun haben, dass die Nutzer mi...
www.faz.net
September 5, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Destabilisieren #Musk & Co. durch die Algorithmen sozialer Netzwerke die liberale Demokratie?
So einfach ist die Sache nicht, zeigen @maiklarooij.nl und @pettertornberg.com von der Universität Amsterdam. Spannend, wie sich Sozialforschung durch #KI weiterentwickelt.
www.faz.net/aktuell/feui...
So einfach ist die Sache nicht, zeigen @maiklarooij.nl und @pettertornberg.com von der Universität Amsterdam. Spannend, wie sich Sozialforschung durch #KI weiterentwickelt.
www.faz.net/aktuell/feui...
🥳🥳🥳 Huge achievement and an amazing project on AI & the politics of welfare!
Follow her work if you're interested in how we can manage the mess that's coming!
Follow her work if you're interested in how we can manage the mess that's coming!
Super excited to share that I got the ERC Starting Grant! 🎉
Over the next five years, I’ll be studying how AI is reshaping the politics of the welfare state.
A huge thank you to all the friends and colleagues who supported me along the way.
vu.nl/en/news/2025...
#ERCStG
Over the next five years, I’ll be studying how AI is reshaping the politics of the welfare state.
A huge thank you to all the friends and colleagues who supported me along the way.
vu.nl/en/news/2025...
#ERCStG
ERC Starting Grant for political science research on the consequences of AI - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Political scientist Juliana Chueri has received a Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC).
vu.nl
September 4, 2025 at 5:24 PM
🥳🥳🥳 Huge achievement and an amazing project on AI & the politics of welfare!
Follow her work if you're interested in how we can manage the mess that's coming!
Follow her work if you're interested in how we can manage the mess that's coming!
I flagged to the editor that the paper I reviewed looked AI-generated.
Immediately received a generic AI-generated email from the editor.
The AI future is here!
Immediately received a generic AI-generated email from the editor.
The AI future is here!
September 1, 2025 at 8:23 AM
I flagged to the editor that the paper I reviewed looked AI-generated.
Immediately received a generic AI-generated email from the editor.
The AI future is here!
Immediately received a generic AI-generated email from the editor.
The AI future is here!