Welcome to the MIT, University of Cologne, University of Bamberg, HSLU Collaborative Innovation Networks (COINs2021) seminar!

In this seminar we will apply the breakthrough advances in AI and machine learning to predicting the future, based on "honest signals of communication" from online social media (Twitter/YouTube/Reddit/Wikipedia), E-Mail, and face-to-face interaction. In particular, we will recognize emotions of individuals and groups through their language, but also their body signals such as facial expressions using image recognition and through smartwatches.

This seminar combines latest insights from happiness and emotion research with social media monitoring, machine learning, and big data. You will learn about general principles of emotions in the context of positive psychology and behavioral economics. The seminar also introduces the concept of “coolhunting” in online social media by discovering and analyzing virtual tribes. It shows how to do “coolfarming”, tracking and supporting the creation of Collaborative Innovation Networks (COINs) by analyzing e-mail and other communication archives and providing a virtual mirror of their communication patterns to users.

The goal is to leverage latest developments of AI to improve communication, leading to better collaboration, leading to more innovation, helping you understand what key factors are for leading a happier and more meaningful life.

The course consists of 3 parts

• An introductory course on Human Dynamics/Social Network Analysis/machine learning based on the draft book manuscript “Groupflow”

• Coolhunting and coolfarming exercises using the cloud based analysis tools Griffin and Galaxyscope

• Project work in teams, doing a large scale project. For projects of the winter term 20/21, see the zoom recordings of the project status meetings