What is it about?
SimSpark is an interactive system that includes simulation algorithms and interactive visual interfaces. It can create small simulated social media platforms with customizable characters and social environments. A simulation workflow is introduced to generate believable behaviors of agents by utilizing large language models. A visual interface enables real-time parameter adjustment and process monitoring for customizing generation settings. Effectiveness is evaluated through case studies, quantitative simulation model assessments, and expert interviews.
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Why is it important?
We show how researchers can use interactive agent-based simulations for social media behavior research. Our study reveals that researchers engage with simulations in exploratory, iterative, and interpretive ways, going beyond hypothesis testing to co-construct meaning with the simulation. This work is timely as interest in human-AI collaboration and agent-based simulation grows, and it highlights the value of designing simulations that support flexible, sensemaking-oriented research practices.
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: SimSpark: Interactive Simulation of Social Media Behaviors, Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, May 2025, ACM (Association for Computing Machinery),
DOI: 10.1145/3711066.
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