As somebody who studied computer science in the early 2000s, I find large language models (LLMs) like GPT and Claude an extraordinary, science-fiction-like technology. While sharing many concerns with sceptics like Gary Marcus, I believe LLMs are so disruptive because they truly are amazingly good at understanding natural language and performing countless tasks that used … Continue reading Thinking with machines: Some reflections on LLMs in academia
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Movies from foreign lands: Computing the geographies of cinema
The article discusses President Trump's proposed tariffs on foreign film productions, aiming to boost domestic cinema and challenge "woke" Hollywood. With a decline in traditional cinema attendance and a shift towards globalized filmmaking, the authors highlight the complexities of film geography and the industry's reliance on international markets amid rising nationalism and protectionist tendencies.
New Leverhulme Centre for Research on Slavery in War
I am incredibly excited to be part of this groundbreaking initiative to tackle one of the most enduring and troubling issues in global affairs: slavery. As the lead of the Cultural Geo-Analytics Lab, I’m proud to contribute to work that not only deepens our understanding of slavery but also supports the development of tools to … Continue reading New Leverhulme Centre for Research on Slavery in War
Charting cultural events on Eventbrite
Here's a new paper led by our PhD student Yue Wang, to be presented at GISRUK 2025 in Bristol! 🌎 🎹🎭 Abstract: This study explores the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of cultural life by investigating the dynamics of cultural events in Greater London. We leverage over 50,000 data points retrieved from Eventbrite to analyse the … Continue reading Charting cultural events on Eventbrite
Panel discussion on Digital Placemaking and Soft City Sensing
I'm excited to announce that I'll be participating in the upcoming panel discussion titled "Digital Placemaking and Soft City Sensing", scheduled for 20 May 2025, hosted by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Aalborg University in Copenhagen. 🇩🇰 🎓 🔗 👉 event page Panel focus: "This panel brings together four researchers to explore … Continue reading Panel discussion on Digital Placemaking and Soft City Sensing
Place ratings: platforms, effects, discontents ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Everywhere we go, we’re asked to rate our experience—5 stars for a coffee, a thumbs-up for a park, or maybe just a smiley face at the toilet. Place ratings have become a routine part of digital life, quietly shaping how we navigate cities, choose destinations, and perhaps even how we evaluate the world around us. … Continue reading Place ratings: platforms, effects, discontents ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SMAU London 2024: AI, geographic data, and the future of innovation
Today, I had the privilege of speaking at SMAU | Italy RestartsUp in London, an event dedicated to the Italian startup scene 🇮🇹🚀 — the panel I contributed to focused on the impact of digitalisation and new technologies. It was a real pleasure to see companies operating in areas close to my academic heart, at … Continue reading SMAU London 2024: AI, geographic data, and the future of innovation
Mapping Museums data used by Office for National Statistics
(AI image source: Dall E) Exciting news! The Mapping Museums Lab data has been incorporated into the latest ONS dataset on UK museums—and I’m proud to have contributed to this effort over the years with Fiona Candlin et al. This project has reinforced my appreciation for open data and collaborative research, showing how spatial data … Continue reading Mapping Museums data used by Office for National Statistics
New visiting PhD student at the lab: Laura Dunn 📊🚌
We are delighted to welcome visiting PhD student Laura Dunne (University College Dublin, Ireland) to the Cultural Geo-Analytics Lab at King’s College London for a research visit from February to May 2025. Under the supervision of Andrea Ballatore, Laura will be advancing her PhD research on optimizing bus networks using machine learning, with a focus … Continue reading New visiting PhD student at the lab: Laura Dunn 📊🚌
How the pandemic changed what we eat and drink: A look at food purchases in England
New journal article out in Public Health Nutrition led by Alexandra Kalbus, from her PhD co-supervised at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. [open access article] 📄📊🍔😷 Reference: Kalbus A, Cornelsen L, Ballatore A, Cummins S. (2024) Changes in food and drink purchasing behaviour in England during the first three months of the … Continue reading How the pandemic changed what we eat and drink: A look at food purchases in England
Cultural Geo-Analytics Lab 