arXiv subjects

Apostolos Filippas

Publications and source records attributed to Apostolos Filippas.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Large Language Models as Simulated Economic Agents: What Can We Learn from Homo Silicus?

We argue that newly-developed large language models (LLMs), because of how they are trained and designed, are implicit computational models of humans -- a Homo silicus. LLMs can be used like economists use Homo economicus: they can be given endowments, information, preferences, and so on, and then their behavior can be explored in scenarios via simulation. Experiments using this approach, derived from Charness and Rabin (2002), Kahneman et al. (1986), Samuelson and Zeckhauser (1988), Oprea (2024b), and Horton (2025), show qualitatively similar results to the original, and when they differ, it is often generative for future research. We discuss potential applications, conceptual issues, and why this approach can inform the study of humans.

econ.GN↗

arXiv2021

The Production and Consumption of Social Media

We model social media as collections of users producing and consuming content. Users value consuming content, but doing so uses up their scarce attention, and hence they prefer content produced by more able users. Users also value receiving attention, creating the incentive to attract an audience by producing valuable content, but also through attention bartering -- users agree to become each others' audience. Attention bartering can profoundly affect the patterns of production and consumption on social media, explains key features of social media behavior and platform decision-making, and yields sharp predictions that are consistent with data we collect from EconTwitter.

econ.GN↗