## Sociological Simulation with Language Models A recent research paper introduces an innovative methodological approach for generating qualitative hypotheses in the field of social sciences. This approach is based on the simulation of sociological personas using Large Language Models (LLMs), framing it as a "qualitative laboratory". Persona simulation via LLMs offers advantages over established methods. It overcomes the lack of discursive depth common in vignette surveys and bypasses the formalization difficulties of rule-based agent-based models (ABMs). The researchers derived personas from a sociological theory and had them react to policy messages, obtaining nuanced and counter-intuitive hypotheses. ## Advantages and Implications The results suggest that this method, used in a "simulation then validation" workflow, represents an effective tool for generating complex hypotheses for empirical testing. The ability to simulate reactions to certain stimuli can be invaluable for social research and understanding group dynamics. Language models, thanks to their ability to generate natural discourse, allow for the development of more realistic simulations and the capture of nuances that would escape other approaches. This opens new perspectives for the analysis of social phenomena and the formulation of more effective policies.