Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)
No. 7, 2025
Datafication of Expert Knowledge and AI for Humanities and Social Sciences
(Abstract)
Qiu Zeqi, Li Haolin, Zhang Pingwen et al.
Intelligent digital technologies are reshaping the paradigms of knowledge production, with AI for humanities and social sciences (AI4HSS) emerging as a key direction for future development. High-quality data is a prerequisite for this evolution. One path toward generating such data is the datafication of accumulated human knowledge. Among these, expert knowledge—characterized by its iterative refinement, condensed form, and specialized structure—is especially valuable due to its innovative potential. Legal expert knowledge is particularly representative within humanities and social sciences. Using law as a case study, the datafication of expert knowledge can follow a “threestep” approach: delineating the scope of expert knowledge, reconstructing its internal structure, and designing technical pathways for its transformation. This model is broadly applicable and helps consolidate the data foundations of AI4HSS, while also marking a solid step toward a new paradigm in HSS knowledge production.