AI within the Survey Lifecycle – Potentials and Risks
Key facts
| Format: | Keynote, roundtable discussions, poster presentations |
| Admission: | Free of charge |
| Registration: | Click here |
| Registration deadline: | November 30, 2026 |
| Contact: | surveyresearch@ihs.ac.at |
Artificial Intelligence is here to stay: Fast-paced innovations and cautionary incidents race for the headlines, illustrating how potential and risks converge as computational capabilities and methods advance. But while collecting and processing data becomes easier by the day, it remains a key virtue of survey researchers to reflect on whether new means of data selection, collection, processing and analysis are fit to draw valid conclusions.
Consequently, the exploration of AI for survey methodology has taken off, reaching from conceptual debates to the actual integration of AI across the survey lifecycle. Given this wide range of applications and experiences, our workshop has three general objectives: Researchers should gain an overview and a better understanding of existing AI-supported methods and findings; they should gain inspiration for integrating AI-based methods in their research work; and they should be able to reflect on the consequences—both risks and potentials—of AI use and get a sense of where the community is heading.
Program Highlights
Our workshop invites survey researchers to discuss these developments, regardless of the degree to which AI is already part of their own research activities. The first workshop day will provide a broad introduction on the state of AI in survey research. The keynote on “How to responsibly integrate AI into the research life cycle? A computational social science perspective” will be held by Prof. Dr. Jan Karem Höhne, head of the CS3 lab Computational Survey and Social Science (DZHW, Hanover).
After the keynote, participants have the opportunity to present their current AI use cases, ideas, and research findings in a poster session and discuss them with one another. You can find our Call for Posters below.
On the second day, insight and discussion on the usage, risks and potentials of AI integration will be explored deeper with expert-led roundtable discussions. In multiple rounds, participants can debate on various AI use cases in designing, conducting and analyzing surveys.
| Table Topic | Chair |
| Pre-Data Collection | |
| Pre-Testing & Instrument Development | Dr. Erica Metheney University of Gothenburg (SE) |
| Harmonization & Translation | Dr. Sylvia Mandl Institute for Advanced Studies (AT) |
| Data Collection | |
| AI Interviewers | Prof. Dr. Alexander Wuttke LMU Munich (DE) |
| Silicon Samples | Dr. Leah von der Heyde GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences (DE) |
| Post-Data Collection | |
| Coding Open-Ended Responses | Matthias Roth GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences (DE) |
| Data Analysis & Reporting | Dr. Dimitri Prandner JKU Linz (AT) |
The workshop will conclude with a synopsis of the table sessions and a panel discussion on AI use and its consequences within the survey lifecycle under scientific, and ethical perspectives. You can find the program in detail here.
Registration, Accommodation and Travel Information
The workshop is free of charge and will take place at the Institute for Advanced Studies Vienna, Josefstädter Straße 39, 1080 Vienna, Austria. The venue is fully wheelchair accessible.
Click here to register for the workshop. Participation is limited to roughly 50 persons. The organizing committee reserves the right to limit the number of participants coming from the same institution in the event of steep demand. Final confirmation of the registrations will thus be sent out shortly after the registration deadline on November 30, 2026.
Our location can be reached by public transport lines U6 (subway), 2, 5 and 12 (Tramway lines) and 13a (bus). More information on travel can be found at here.
For your convenience, we recommend the Zipser or Flemings hotel, both are no more than a 7-minute walk away.
Call for Posters & Printing Service
We invite you to contribute a scientific poster to our workshop. We are looking for a diverse range of contributions, including practical use cases, ideas for integrating AI into the survey lifecycle, or presentations of current research in this field. "Work in progress" is highly welcome!
Submission: If you wish to present a poster, please submit a short abstract (max. 200 words, including title and authors) to surveyresearch@ihs.ac.at by December 15, 2026. You will receive a notification regarding the acceptance of your abstract by December 20.
Printing Logistics: To facilitate participation, we are pleased to offer a printing logistics service. If you submit your final high-resolution PDF by March 1, 2027, we will gladly take care of the printing and have it ready for you at the venue.
Please note: While we are happy to assist with the logistics and coordination, the costs for printing are not covered by the workshop organizers and must be borne by the participants. If you require special assistance due to financial constraints (e.g., students), please contact us directly.
Specifications:
- Size: A1
- Format: High-resolution PDF, all fonts embedded, images at least 300 dpi.