Soziologie

On November 28, doctoral researchers from RTG 2951 had the opportunity to participate in a workshop on “AI in Qualitative Research: Opportunities and Limitations of AI-Assisted Interview Interpretation.” The workshop was conducted by sociologist Danie Gui Gui, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Duisburg-Essen.

The workshop explored the potential and limitations of using artificial intelligence (AI) to support the interpretation of qualitative interview data. A central question guided the session: Can AI-generated readings make a meaningful contribution to the interpretation of an interview, and how can researchers critically assess the results?

Taking a hands-on approach, participants worked with a short interview extract, comparing their own interpretations with AI-generated readings. They examined the claims made by the AI against the original interview material and explored how changes to prompts could influence the results.

The practical exercises encouraged participants to reflect on the added value of AI-assisted interpretation, the critical scrutiny it requires, and the conditions under which such tools may—or may not—be useful in qualitative research.

Overall, the workshop provided an opportunity to engage critically with the possibilities of AI-assisted qualitative research while highlighting its methodological limitations and potential pitfalls. It underlined the importance of maintaining a reflective and critical approach when integrating AI tools into qualitative research practices.