Thematic center
Digital Center
Featured research
Should tech giants be forced to share data?
-
TSE Reflect
-
Digital
How should AI be priced?
-
TSE Reflect
-
Digital
How should firms share their data?
-
TSE Reflect
-
Digital
Latest news
How can we solve the economic equation of data spaces?
-
Corporate Relations
-
Partnership research
-
Digital
Postal Economics Conference 2026
-
Corporate Relations
-
Partnership research
-
Infrastructure and Networks
-
Digital
The State of Competition in the AI Stack
-
Corporate Relations
-
Partnership research
-
Digital
In the press
Big Tech's insatiable thirst for energy
-
Op-ed
-
Energy and Climate
Less Remorse, More Cheating: The Disturbing Effect of AI on Our Honesty
-
Op-ed
-
Economics
-
Digital
Are mobile mergers good for consumers?
-
Op-ed
-
Competition policy and regulation
Events
19th Digital Economics Conference
-
Conference
-
Date From 7 to 8 January 2027
-
Place Auditorium 3 JJ Laffont - Auditorium 4
Details
Past
Decoding Rankings: Consumer Search, Price Competition, and Platform Regulation
-
Seminar
-
Economics of Platforms Seminar
-
Date 1 October 2026
-
Place Zoom
-
Speaker or organiser Hanlin Zhao
Details
Past
Key Findings from the 2026 International AI Safety Report
-
Seminar
-
Digital Workshop
-
Date 30 September 2026
-
Place Auditorium 4
-
Speaker or organiser Carina Prunkl (INRIA - Paris)
Details
Cross-perspectives
Interview croisée de deux chercheurs de TSE dont les travaux portent sur l'intelligence artificielle : César Hidalgo et Jean‑François Bonnefon.
Jean‑François Bonnefon, directeur de l'IAST (Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse) et directeur du département Sciences sociales et comportementales de TSE, est spécialiste des interactions entre intelligence artificielle et société. Chercheur au CNRS et psychologue cognitif de formation, il est notamment reconnu pour ses travaux sur les enjeux éthiques soulevés par l'intelligence artificielle, en particulier dans le domaine des véhicules autonomes. Il dirige le programme « IA et Société » du Centre Digital de TSE.
Physicien et chercheur à TSE, César Hidalgo a dirigé pendant dix ans le Center for Collective Learning au MIT. Ses recherches portent aujourd'hui sur la notion de « société augmentée » et explorent la manière dont les humains et les intelligences artificielles peuvent apprendre à collaborer pour travailler, échanger des connaissances et prendre des décisions ensemble.
Cette interview croisée offre un regard complémentaire sur les défis et les opportunités de l'intelligence artificielle, à la croisée des enjeux technologiques, sociaux et éthiques.
César Hidalgo: At the center for collective learning, we actually use AI for a number of things. On the one hand, we can use AI to understand international development, but we can also use it to gather new forms of data and even to build tools that we can use to distribute our research. But one of the things that is hard is that we have to make sure that we're doing these things the right way.
There are a lot of things that could go wrong. So, that's something that you work on.
Jean-François Bonnefon: Yeah. I mean, doing it right is what my research is about. That means that on the one hand we need the machines, the AI, to behave in a good way, an ethical way, but we also need to understand what humans are going to do when they have access to the AI. For example, one thing we showed recently is that delegating to an AI agent can blur the frontier between right and wrong in people's minds. Sometimes there are things they would not do themselves, like fudging numbers in a report to make it look good, but they find it easier to let the AI agent do it for them. This kind of behavior creates systemic risks and, to detect those risks, you cannot just look at market data. You have to run lab experiments and use behavioral methods to understand psychology. That's just one kind of method that you need to bring if you want to understand the total impact of AI.
César Hidalgo: One of the things that we have been doing is using AI to understand how people perceive cities. We all know that some cities have great neighborhoods and some neighborhoods that are not so great, but those are qualitative judgments that are hard to transform into quantitative maps. Now, using AI, we have been able to create very detailed maps of people's perception of cities across a variety of dimensions: which places look historical, safe, lively, wealthy, and so forth.
That can help us identify areas of intervention, suggest improvements, and think about new forms of civic participation where AI is not only involved in changing the digital space but might also contribute to how we change our physical space.
Jean-François Bonnefon: Yes, opportunities. I like that because so much of my research is about detecting the risks and threats of AI that it feels really good sometimes when you can identify a positive impact. For example, at the moment there is so much discussion about the use of large language models (LLMs) to manipulate and misinform people. But what we could show is that they can also be used to improve information, for example to subtly reframe climate news so that skeptics become interested in climate science. It's so important because that means we can use these models to fight polarization, fight misinformation, and actually improve democracy. And I think that's something you're interested in.
César Hidalgo: Absolutely. We can think of AI as something that could hurt our democracy. We can use it to generate misinformation, but we can also try to be a little more hopeful and use it in creative ways. For instance, we can think about how we would design a deliberation or participation system that incorporates AI and digital tools as an asset, not as a liability. That's actually something we have a big project on. We have an ERC project together with many principal investigators across Europe that is exploring new designs of participation and deliberation using AI as an essential component, what we call augmented democracy.
Jean-François Bonnefon: Yeah, I totally agree that our work is no longer just about understanding the present, but also about trying to anticipate the future. I have this feeling—I don't know if you have it—that my work is getting closer to science fiction; closer to science than fiction, but still using the methods of science to anticipate a world that is not there yet.
César Hidalgo: That's one of the beautiful things about being at a place like TSE. We're not just trying to understand the present. We're trying to build the future. And that's great for students because they are going to enter a world that will be different from the one we have today. So it's better that they experience the future today. And that's one of the things they are going to do if they are at a place where the future is being built.
Seen on LinkedIn
Purpose & ambition
The continued development of digital technologies is profoundly transforming both the economy and society, particularly with the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, which is accelerating and amplifying these changes. At the forefront of these developments, TSE seeks to enhance public and private stakeholders’ understanding of both the opportunities and risks associated with the digital economy and artificial intelligence. In particular, it aims to promote the design of an effective, fair, and innovation-friendly regulatory framework for digital technologies.
In this context, TSE’s Digital Center aims to:
- Bring together and promote TSE’s scientific expertise in digital economics
- Foster collaboration with partners around targeted research issues
- Structure and encourage researchers’ contributions to public policy debates
TSE has played a pioneering role in the study of the digital economy, particularly in the field of digital regulation. Established in 2018, the TSE Digital Center builds on research conducted since the early 2000s, including major academic contributions by economists such as Jean Tirole on network effects and platform pricing. Today, TSE researchers continue to play a key role in public debates on digital regulation, particularly at the European level, by providing scientific insights to policymakers and regulators.
Our ambition is to establish TSE as a global reference for cutting-edge research and thought leadership on the digital economy.
Research areas
Over the past twenty-five years, our researchers’ expertise in digital technologies has grown in both depth and breadth. The five research areas presented below reflect the main fields of research in which they are engaged.
Objectives: Our researchers study the ethical expectations of citizens and consumers to facilitate the transition to the new AI society. They also conduct research in the fields of algorithmic fairness and trustworthy AI.
Program leader: Jean-François Bonnefon
Objectives: Our researchers analyze the implications of the key characteristics of FinTech and cryptocurrencies, as well as their impact on social welfare; they examine how markets, institutions, and regulations should be designed to mitigate issues such as coordination problems, information asymmetries, and other market failures.
Program leader: Christophe Bisière
Objectives: Our researchers study the business models of digital platforms and their impact on society. They shed light on how platform markets function and offer economic policy recommendations regarding the regulation of these markets.
Program leader: Doh-Shin Jeon
Objectives: Our researchers focus on the protection and transfer of intellectual property in the digital economy. They analyze patent disputes involving Internet of Things (IoT) actors and the licensing of intellectual property to manufacturers of connected devices. They also assess the economic effects of holding platforms liable for intellectual property infringements committed by third parties operating on their platforms.
Program leader: Yassine Lefouili
Objectives: Combining mathematics and economics, our researchers develop optimization techniques, applied econometric tools, and game theory concepts to address high-dimensional stochastic phenomena. They study data-related issues such as privacy protection, the data market, and the impact of data on competition.
Program leader: Sébastien Gadat
Activities
The TSE Digital Center promotes, showcases, and disseminates research on the digital issues conducted at TSE through a range of scientific and outreach activities targeting both the academic community and decision-makers.
- A dedicated resource hub: We provide a dedicated platform showcasing TSE’s activities in the field of digital technologies, featuring academic experts, research outputs, events, and news related to our research programs and collaborations.
- Events for researchers and decision-makers: We organize scientific events bringing together the academic community, as well as targeted events designed specifically for public and private decision-makers to shed light on digital issues and their implications for public policy and business strategy.
- Knowledge dissemination and outreach activities: We develop a variety of formats to make research findings accessible to a broader audience. These activities include the publication of research reports, the distribution of thematic newsletters, and the production of podcasts and editorial content.
60
Researchers
589
Number of publications in scientific journals since the creation of the Center
4
Research initiatives
The TSE Digital Center brings together several research initiatives dedicated to digital issues, as well as research projects on these topics selected through publicly funded research programs.
Research initiatives
Supported by one or more partners, research initiatives foster the development of research projects addressing issues of common interest to both academics and economic stakeholders.
- Economics of data sharing, EONA-X
- Economics of postal and digital services, La Poste groupe
- Regulation of digital services and platforms, with the Joint Research Centre - JRC of the European Commission
- Telecommunications in the Digital Age, Orange
View all our research initiatives
Publicly funded research projects
Several TSE researchers currently benefit from grants or research funding related to the digital economy, awarded through major national and European public research funding programs.
European Research Council (ERC) Grants
- Patrick Rey, DIGECON - Competition and regulation in the digital economy, 2022-2027
- Jean-Charles Rochet, DIPAMUTA- Digital Payments, Multidimensional Taxes, 2022-2027
- Andrew Rhodes, DMPDE - Data and Market Power in the Digital Economy, 2023-2028
- Umberto Grandi, Ulle Endriss, César Hidalgo and Majia Setala, ADDI - Advancing Digital Democratic Innovation, 2025-2030
National Research Agency (ANR) Grants
- Jérôme Bolte, Regul-AI - Regulation of AI, 2023-2027
- Matthieu Bouvard, FINRIS - Financial Innovation and Risk management, 2021-2026
- Bruno Jullien, EDECOSYSTEM - Economics of Digital Ecosystems: Private and Public Regulation, 2025-2028
- Yassine Lefouili and Anna d'Annunzio, TEPREME - Telemedicine and precision medicine: the role of data in healthcare innovation, 2021-2026
- Mateo Montenegro, DIGILITERACY - Digital Literacy, Misinformation and Governance, 2024-2028
- Edouard Pauwels, MAD- Mathematics of Automatic Differentiation, 2024-2028
- Jean-François Bonnefon, MACHINATION : Risques Systémiques de Manipulation par les Machines, 2026-2032
Student consulting projects
As part of the Master’s programs in Master 2 Data Science for Social Sciences and the one in Statistics and Econometrics, we offer companies and public institutions the opportunity to collaborate with our students through various project formats supervised by faculty members and researchers.
These projects are part of the students’ training within the Master’s programs and are distinct from the center’s research activities.
The TSE Digital Center highlights all research conducted at TSE in the field of the digital economy, with a particular focus on work that has a strong impact on economic stakeholders. Emerging from all of our research programs, this work draws on a wide range of disciplines, including economics, mathematics and statistics, as well as the social and behavioral sciences.
Research in accessible formats
Discover research findings through accessible and engaging formats: article summaries, op-eds by our researchers published in the media, and multimedia content (videos, podcasts, etc.).
Most recent publications
Platform Liability and Innovation
Horizontal Mergers and Incremental Innovation
AI Safety and Competition
Mergers and Investments: Where Do We Stand?
Seller-Side Tying of Platform Services
Gaming the Giants: How Startups Shape Innovation to Spark Acquisition Wars
A Model of Information Security and Competition
Dynamic Recommendation Bias
Mostly Harmless Machine Learning: Learning Optimal Instruments in Linear IV Models
Data and Competition: A Simple Framework
A Dynamic Model of Predation
Resale Price Maintenance and Consumer Search
The TSE Digital Center supports the organization of conferences, workshops, and seminars throughout the year. These events contribute to the production and dissemination of research in the field of the digital economy and are designed for a variety of audiences. While some are intended primarily for the academic community, others prioritize exchanges with professionals working in companies and public institutions.
Regular scientific events
Digital Economics Conference
Since 2001, the TSE Digital Economics Conference has established itself as a leading event for researchers in digital economics. Typically bringing together around one hundred participants, it is now held annually at TSE over two days in Toulouse each January.
Economics of Platforms Seminar
Held online on the first Thursday of each month, this seminar is organized by a scientific committee co-chaired by Jacques Crémer (TSE), Andrei Hagiu (Boston University), and Julian Wright (National University of Singapore). The series provides a regular forum for advancing theoretical and empirical research on platforms, competition, and regulation. See all Economics of Platforms seminars
Digital Workshop
Organized periodically by Doh-Shin Jeon (TSE) and Andrew Rhodes (TSE), this workshop provides an interdisciplinary forum dedicated to major issues in the digital economy. It brings together researchers, policymakers, and private-sector experts to discuss topics such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, personal data, digital platforms, social media, and fintech. See all the Digital Workshops
Events for decision-makers
TSE also organizes ad hoc events, often tailored specifically for decision-makers. These events are generally linked to research programs developed through our partnerships and are sometimes co-organized with other academic institutions (such as Yale University’s Tobin Center for Economic Policy).
Examples:
- The Economics of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) Workshop, September 22-23, 2025, Brussels
- AI Stack webinar series, April 10, May 22, June 12, 2025, online
- The Economics of the Cloud Market Workshop, June 25, 2024, Brussels
All Events
19th Digital Economics Conference
-
Conference
-
Date From 7 to 8 January 2027
-
Place Auditorium 3 JJ Laffont - Auditorium 4
Details
Past
Decoding Rankings: Consumer Search, Price Competition, and Platform Regulation
-
Seminar
-
Economics of Platforms Seminar
-
Date 1 October 2026
-
Place Zoom
-
Speaker or organiser Hanlin Zhao
Details
Past
Key Findings from the 2026 International AI Safety Report
-
Seminar
-
Digital Workshop
-
Date 30 September 2026
-
Place Auditorium 4
-
Speaker or organiser Carina Prunkl (INRIA - Paris)
Details
Past
Sherlocking: The Effects of Platform-Owner Entry on the Competitive Behavior of Third-Party Firms
-
Seminar
-
Economics of Platforms Seminar
-
Date 7 May 2026
-
Place Online_Zoom
-
Speaker or organiser Benjamin Leyden
Details
Past
13th Postal Economics Conference on E-commerce, Digital Economics and Delivery Services
-
Conference
-
Date From 16 to 17 April 2026
-
Place Auditorium Jean-Jacques Laffont and Auditorium A4
Details
Past
Distributional Consequences of Privacy Regulation on Platforms
-
Seminar
-
Economics of Platforms Seminar
-
Date 2 April 2026
-
Place Online ; Zoom
-
Speaker or organiser Ben Casner
Details
Past
Decision-making under uncertainty by large language models
-
Seminar
-
Digital Workshop
-
Date 18 March 2026
-
Place Auditorium A4
-
Speaker or organiser Bryan Wilder
Details
Past
Taming Tech Giants’ Algorithms: An analysis of consumers’ choices on Amazon
-
Seminar
-
Economics of Platforms Seminar
-
Date 5 March 2026
-
Place Zoom
-
Speaker or organiser Michela Boldrini
Details
Past
Regulating Privacy Policies on Digital Platforms
-
Seminar
-
Economics of Platforms Seminar
-
Date 5 February 2026
-
Place Zoom
-
Speaker or organiser Michele Bisceglia
Details
Past
18th Digital Economics Conference
-
Conference
-
Date From 8 to 9 January 2026
-
Place Auditorium 3 JJ Laffont - Auditorium 4
Details
Past
(Mis-)Matchmaker
-
Seminar
-
Economics of Platforms Seminar
-
Date 4 December 2025
-
Place Zoom
-
Speaker or organiser Jana Gieselmann
Details
Past
Data-Driven Mergers and Data Monetization
-
Seminar
-
Digital Workshop
-
Date 12 November 2025
-
Place Auditorium 4
-
Speaker or organiser Zhijun Chen
Details
We warmly thank the companies and public institutions that partner with our research initiatives in the field of digital economics , and that are also actively engaged alongside the TSE Digital Center. Through their support, our partners make a significant contribution to TSE’s scientific output in this field and play a key role in enhancing the visibility and impact of this research, as well as in supporting the development of the Digital Center’s activities.
In the case of digital, the extremely fruitful collaboration between the JRC and TSE dates back several years. TSE colleagues are always available to provide advice and expertise [...] for specific European policy initiatives.
We would also like to express our gratitude to the public institutions that support our researchers' work in the digital field, particularly through major research funding programs.
Join us
Become a partner and help foster dialogue between researchers and decision-makers on the major challenges associated with digital technologies and artificial intelligence. Together, we can strengthen the relevance and impact of research.
Andrew Rhodes
Director
Eve Séjalon
Head of research partnerships and centers
Pascale Maréchal
Research Partnerships Project Manager
