From Clicks to Chatbots: The Future of Online Advertising | with Dirk Bergemann
In this episode we dive deep into the economics of digital markets with Dirk Bergemann. We discuss how search platforms like Google created entirely new marketplaces around user attention and private information, what makes digital markets so unique, and how auction design evolved to match the scale and complexity of internet advertising. Dirk also shares insights from his own research on how platforms collect and use user information and gives an economist’s perspective on how emerging technologies - like large language models - might reshape the future of search and advertising. Dirk Bergemann is Douglass and Marion Campbell Professor of Economics at Yale University and an expert in game theory, contract theory, and market design. Among others, his research is focused on economics of digital markets - especially those shaped by search engines and advertising auctions.
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28:44
Strange Bedfellows: The Game Theory Behind Counterintuitive Alliances | with David Pinsof
In this episode, we talk to David Pinsof about the surprising ways people form their beliefs and build alliances. Drawing on his survey with Cards Against Humanity, he shares how people often hold contradictory views and what this reveals about group coordination. We also dive into his game-theoretic model of coalition-building, explore how humor functions as a coordination tool, and discuss the deeper logic behind seemingly irrational behavior. David Pinsof is a behavioral scientist whose work combines evolutionary psychology and game theory, to understand belief formation and social dynamics. He is also one of the co-creators of "Cards against Humanity", the author of the blog Everything Is Bullshit and recently launched the podcast - Evolutionary Psychology (The Podcast) - in which he explores cutting-edge work in the evolutionary behavioral sciences. You can find the paper „Strange Bedfellows" David mentioned in the episode here.
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28:26
Man vs. model – game theoretic insights on AI in auctions | with Vitali Gretschko
In this episode we are talking to Vitali Gretschko about how generative AI can be used to simulate strategic behaviour in auctions. We explore where AI tools can support auction design, where they fall short, and how practitioners should interpret simulation results. Vitali also explains why AI is best seen as a co-intelligence that needs expert guidance. Vitali Gretschko is Professor for sustainable Market Design at the University of Münster. His research focuses on auction theory, market design, and applying game theory to practical strategic problems.
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22:31
Punishment or Pettiness? The Game Theory Behind Spite | with Rory Smead
In this episode, our guest Rory Smead shares insights on spite and what game theory can teach us about this puzzling behaviour. He explains why people sometimes punish others even at a cost to themselves, and whether this can be understood through more than just fairness. Using the ultimatum game as a central example, he discusses how spite can influence decision-making and what this reveals about both human and animal behaviour. Rory Smead is Professor of Philosophy and the Ronald L. and Linda A. Rossetti Professor for the Humanities at Northeastern University. His research focuses on philosophy of science, philosophy of biology, logic, and game theory, with a particular interest in understanding social behaviour through formal models.
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25:36
When Bonuses Backfire: Rethinking Attendance Incentives | with Timo Vogelsang
In this episode we are talking to Timo Vogelsang about why incentives aimed at reducing absenteeism can sometimes have the opposite effect. Based on a Field Experiment in a German supermarket chain, he explains why offering bonuses for attendance backfired. We also explore how incentives can unintentionally shape beliefs and undermine motivation. Timo Vogelsang is Associate Professor of Managerial Accounting at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. His research focuses on behavioural economics and public policy, with a particular interest in how incentives shape motivation and behaviour in real-world settings. You can find the paper Timo talks about in the episode here.
In Game Changer, the podcast by TWS Partners, we want to share our enthusiasm and passion for game theory and its applications.
We invite guests from business and academia to discuss how they use the power of game theory in their profession to make a difference – and to learn some fun anecdotes, useful facts and valuable insights along the way. Join us on this journey, and find out that game theory is much more than a topic for ivory tower discussions.
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