February 2024 - Air-L - lists.aoir.org

Submitting a post to the Air-L listserv
by My Nguyen 20 Feb '24

20 Feb '24

Hi, I am My Nguyen, a first-year Ph.D. student at the Manship School of Mass Communication (LSU). I want to submit a call for participants for a study that I and another Ph.D. student are conducting. Subject line: Call for participants for study on issue fatigue Two first-year Ph.D. students are conducting to investigate the potential consequences of issue fatigue with the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine in the U.S. to present at a conference next month. We are looking for participants (U.S. citizens and over 18) for our study. https://lsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b3f6xb5PexbzRcy Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management<https://lsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b3f6xb5PexbzRcy> The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today. lsu.qualtrics.com Please contact me if additional information is needed. Best regards, My. Nguyen Ngoc Yen My, MS Graduate Assistant Student, Ph.D. in Media and Public Affairs LSU Manship School of Mass Communication

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Research Survey Inquiry
by Wu, Alex 20 Feb '24

20 Feb '24

Hello, I am Alex Wu, a senior at Walter Payton College Preparatory School. I am currently enrolled in my school's AP Research course, and my research project is focused around the perspectives at play regarding public engagement with academia, and their effects on the perception of scientific research. The primary perspective of my project investigates, from a researcher’s point of view, how various factors such as public engagement, institutional bias, etc. play in the research process. I am interested in examining the interplay between researchers and broader audiences, whether they be in academia or without. I believe that this survey may be relevant to the members of this listserv. If you would like to take this survey, please click on the link below: Phase I: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10ZZ5SRZt8i0FLGRdXq_W4CZ1P-hugTL5a0qni-WsT7… Any responses are appreciated. Thank you, Alex

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New FREE book on Games for Inclusion & Book Launch Party - March 7 @ noon ET
by Kat Schrier Shaenfield 20 Feb '24

20 Feb '24

Hi everyone- *Our new book is out and it's free to download:**Learning, Education, & Games, Volume 4: 50 Games for Inclusion, Equity, and Justice* (ETC Press/Carnegie Mellon) https://press.etc.cmu.edu/books/learning-education-games/4?fbclid=IwAR19Qpn… This book is aimed at educators, researchers, and designers who want to use games to enhance equity and justice for marginalized students, and create communities where everyone feels like they belong. Editors: Rachel Kowert, Diana Leonard, Tarja Porkka-Kontturi, & Kat Schrier (me) *Join our (online) celebration & brainstorm for the next volume:*Thursday, March 7th at noon ET Sign up at: https://events.humanitix.com/celebrate-and-brainstorm Take care, Kat ----------------------------------------- Dr. Karen (Kat) Schrier http://www.karenschrier.com www.twitter.com/drgamermom Professor & Director, Games & Emerging Media program, Marist College Game Design Consultant, World Health Organization (WHO) Academy Author, We the Gamers (Oxford University Press) Author, Knowledge Games (Johns Hopkins University Press) CEO/Founder, PlatyPlay, LLC (making games for social impact) Please call me Kat or Dr. Kat (She/They)

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CfP: The Second International Symposium on Trustworthy Autonomous Systems, September 2024, Austin, Texas
by Liz Dowthwaite 20 Feb '24

20 Feb '24

Call for Participation The Second International Symposium on Trustworthy Autonomous Systems 2024 (TAS '24), 16-18 September 2024, Austin, Texas https://symposium.tas.ac.uk/2024/ We invite submissions on research focused on trustworthy autonomous systems (TAS), responsible and ethical artificial intelligence, and human-machine interaction. Important dates 3 May 2024: submission of poster abstracts, full papers, and workshop proposals July 2024: notifications 16 September 2024: workshops day 17-18 September 2024: conference days Autonomous systems involve software applications and machines that can take actions with little or no human supervision. We are particularly interested in socio-technical systems involving both humans and machines working together, and automated decision-making processes and the ways in which they are employed by and impacting people. Trustworthy autonomous systems (TAS) generate positive outcomes and mitigate potentially harmful outcomes for people, societies, economies, and the environment. We invite full-paper submissions, poster abstracts, and workshop proposals on research that addresses the challenges of designing, building, and deploying Trustworthy Autonomous Systems (TAS). Contributions may consider technical, social, legal, and ethical issues and their impacts on individuals, society, and the economy. Submissions may come from disciplines including, but not limited to, engineering, computer science, psychology, social sciences, law, and arts & humanities. Submissions will be selected for publication following peer review. Submission information will be released soon. The proceedings, including full papers and abstracts, will be published in the ACM Digital Library. Liz Dowthwaite, TAS Hub, University of Nottingham, UK Justin Hart, Good Systems, The University of Texas at Austin, US TAS '24 General Chairs ___________ Dr Liz Dowthwaite Senior Research Fellow, Horizon Digital Economy Research Institute<http://horizon.ac.uk/>, Trustworthy Autonomous Systems Hub<https://tas.ac.uk/>, Responsible AI UK<https://www.rai.ac.uk/> Secretary, IEEE P7003 Algorithmic Bias Working Group<http://sites.ieee.org/sagroups-7003/> Section Editor, Citizen Science: Theory and Practice<https://theoryandpractice.citizenscienceassociation.org/> University of Nottingham, Innovation Park, Triumph Road, Nottingham, NG7 2TU Twitter: @Lima_India_Zulu<https://twitter.com/Lima_India_Zulu> BlueSky: lizdowthwaite.bsky.social<https://bsky.app/profile/lizdowthwaite.bsky.social> Blog: dowthwaite.wordpress.com<http://www.dowthwaite.wordpress.com/> This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender and delete the email and attachment. Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. Email communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored where permitted by law.

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DLC+ - Digital Literary Cultures
by Korecka, Magdalena 20 Feb '24

20 Feb '24

Dear list members, Apologies for cross-posting. We are writing to share news of DLC+/Digital Literary Cultures, an open-access research resource and network of digital literature scholars. Previously known as Instasociety, we've decided to change our name to DLC+ to capture our focus on digital literary cultures broadly defined. DLC+ aims to provide a platform for a host of topics. These are related to social media, digital culture, and literature as it adapts to emerging communications technologies and digital environments. What do we do? * We manage an active reading list, which we think might be relevant for any scholars, artists, students and anyone else interested in the field: https://dlcplus.org/reading-list/ * We provide community resources for scholars working on these topics in an interdisciplinary manner, including a Slack channel where we informally share recommendations; meet-ups in monthly reading groups; and overall, creating a space for community. * Interested people can join the network through a sign-up form on our website: https://dlcplus.org/join/ We are already looking forward to hearing from you. Kind regards, Magdalena Elisabeth Korecka (Network Officer)

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Cfp_Russia-Ukraine Information Warfare
by MARIANNA NAPOLITANO 20 Feb '24

20 Feb '24

Dear colleagues and friends, I would like to draw your attention to the Cfp for participation in the open session of European Academy of Religion (Palermo, 20-23 May 2024) on the topic of *Russia-Ukraine Information Warfare*. You are welcome to submit your paper proposals until February 18th, 2024. Please share it with colleagues interested in this topic. Further details can be found here: https://www.europeanacademyofreligion.org/it/accepted-proposals. Interested scholars can send a short proposal including a title and a brief academic biography to marianna.napolitano(a)unimore.it. The email address is also available for further information. Russia’s war in Ukraine isn’t just being fought on the ground and in the air but also in the information space. The extent to which this war is being waged and shared online appeared to be notable also compared to previous wars: both traditional and new media are being used as instruments of propaganda, news, and manipulated narratives. The aim of the panel is investigating and discussing these information warfare strategies from a religious, political and social perspective. Therefore, papers from a wide range of disciplines (political science, religious studies, media studies) are welcomed. The following topics are particularly encouraged: - sources of state and church information strategies: how they changed in the years (for instance in comparison to the conflict of Majdan)?; - how traditional and new media helps in connecting (or not) people living in Russia, in Ukraine and in the diaspora?; - do traditional and new media show to be reliable instruments of information during the Russia-Ukraine conflict? Are they reliable in telling the reality of the conflict (roots, causes, story of people involved in it)?; -use and role of social media: how the war is fought on social media?; -how social media support the religious experience in a time of church splits?

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Update from the AoIR Executive Committee
by Nicholas John 20 Feb '24

20 Feb '24

Dear AoIR community, Last week (15.2.24) the Executive Committee convened to discuss our pathway forward regarding the issuance of statements. We decided to establish a subcommittee that will draft a proposal for a mechanism by which AoIR might express views on issues and events. The subcommittee will be headed by the Vice President of AoIR and will include other members of the Executive Committee. The roadmap is as follows: the subcommittee will bring its proposal to the Executive Committee, and then to the membership for feedback. It will be discussed at the AGM in Sheffield, and ultimately brought to the membership for an online vote (likely when we vote for the next Executive Committee). From this point the mailing list will no longer be pre-moderated. Good luck with your #AoIR2024 submissions, Nik John President, AoIR Nicholas John Associate Professor President, Association of Internet Researchers Department of Communication and Journalism The Hebrew University of Jerusalem @nik@aoir.social <http://aoir.social/@nik> nicholasjohn.huji.ac.il <http://nicholasjohn.huji.ac.il/> Recent articles: John, N., Joeckel, S., Epstein, D. & Dogruel, L. (2023). Privacy and distance learning in turbulent times: a comparison of German and Israeli schools during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Learning, Media and Technology, 48(3), 514-527. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2022.2089682 John, N. & Katz, D. (2023). A history of features for online tie breaking, 1997-2021. Internet Histories, 7:3, 237-253, https://doi.org/10.1080/24701475.2023.2214466 John, N. (2022). Sharing and social media: The decline of a keyword? New Media & Society, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/14614448221078603

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CFM: Symbolic Interaction and AI--Final Call
by Sarina Chen 19 Feb '24

19 Feb '24

Dear Colleagues, Greetings! Below please find the final call of CFM: *Symbolic Interaction and AI*, Vol. 61 of *Studies in Symbolic Interaction: A Bi-annual Book Series*, published by Emerald Publishing. Thank you very much for your consideration. Looking forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Shing-Ling Sarina Chen *Studies in Symbolic Interaction* ********************************************* CFM: Symbolic Interaction and AI Artificial Intelligence (AI), an umbrella term that includes any device capable of emulating or even exceeding human capabilities, emerged as computer technologies became more sophisticated and complex. While AI currently evokes frightened responses associated with human replacement, it has a history of being useful regarding human enterprises. For instance, mathematical analysts have used AI to find patterns in huge sets of data. However, recent rapid developments in AI have utilized the pattern-matching capacity to create words, images, and sounds independent of human intention , often referred to as Generative AI. In 2021, Open-AI introduced Dall-E, a-text-to-image generator that creates artworks after receiving text prompts from users. In 2022, Open-AI unveiled ChatGPT, a computer program designed to simulate conversation with users. After receiving inputs from users, ChatGPT displayed the capacity to provide lifelike answers, including grammatically correct essays that appeared filled with human insight. Also in 2022, Google introduced an AI text-to-video generator that created high-definition videos from text prompts. When considering the above developments, Al has become equated with raw human intelligence, from authoring cogent essays to completing artistic and intricate designs. Most alarming, those who consume information and design feel that they cannot easily discern the difference between a genuine human creation or the work of AI. As mentioned in regard to mathematical analysis, using AI for analytical purposes is not a new phenomenon. Neither is such use restricted to our current day-to-day lives. Before Dall-E, ChatGPT, and the AI video tool, humans have long employed "assisted living," using AI technologies such as Alexa and Siri to create and assist voices, turn on and off appliances, answer short queries, and make transmission of information easier to accomplish. In addition, various AI programs appeared at workplaces that served as useful ways to type, make phone calls, and even to transport people from place to place. One dimension of AI that fascinates students of technology is not only its capacity to simulate human activity, but to learn ways of communicating. Such learning emerges through the use of mathematical systems to find connections in huge data sets. The responses AI generate consist of pattern matching, or a process that connects words, images, and sounds to sequences of subsequent symbols. In effect, AI is powered by large language models in which a bot can ingest huge amounts of data. Such ingestion enables a bot to predict and generate the most appropriate word or symbol to generate. While these chatbots do not duplicate human intelligence in that they lack the capacities to understand the environment around them or distinguish factual from non-factual information, they still represent potential dangers. Their incapacity to duplicate human intelligence becomes a source of intriguing content; the chatbots may churn out wrong or nonsensical information (a phenomenon called " hallucinations") regarded as potential insights. In response to these hallucinations, humans work closely with AI as attendants in various fields including business, medicine, education, journalism, and public safety. Despite the rapid advancement of AI, and the astonishing potential of AI in transforming social life, social scientists have not accumulated much knowledge regarding human-AI interaction. For this reason, it seems crucial to explore the implications of the emergent interaction between humans and AI technologies. *Studies in Symbolic Interaction: A Bi-annual Book Series*, Vol. 61, *Symbolic Interaction and AI*, is devoted to examinations of the implications of utilizing AI in human reflexivity and social interaction. Human Reflexivity and AI: From Dyad to Triad AI, although designed to enhance efficiency and productivity, challenges human reflexivity in ways that we did not anticipate. When typing a sentence, AI accompanies a user in an intellectually intimate fashion by suggesting what is to be typed (specific words or phrases to be used) and flagging misspelled words and grammatical errors. Hence the user not only authors an intended statement but also constantly attends to AI suggestions. AI assisted typing may expedite the typing and enhance the quality of the text. However, the level of reflexivity needed when doing assisted typing seems to be substantial and laborious. AI assisted writing also gives a new definition to single authorship. To further examine the activity of reflexivity and the use of AI, one may examine the interaction of AI with (a) I and Me, (b) Self and Generalized Other, and (c) Self and Other(s) in SI literature. I, Me, and AI In classic SI literature, reflexivity is conceptualized as the interaction between the I and the Me. Using AI creates the appearance of a generated I and Me, one that emerges in the creative process. Such emergence leads to question the relationship of the newly formed triad--I, Me, and AI. Specifically, is AI now challenging the authority of me? The question relates to how AI seems to be based on vast (objective) databases, while Me is based on one's experiential (and subjective) socialization. Self, Generalized Other, and AI Mead discussed the Self in reference the Generalized Other, especially when engaged in the process of making an existential decision. Currently, however, AI’s emergence on the scene could make AI appear to be more applicable than the Generalized Other. As an immediate (and often forceful) source of correction, AI represents the seemingly reliable patterns found in vast databases, while Generalized Other appears less linked to current technology (and more associated with a less sophisticated process of socialization). As interactionists, we ask, what is the relationship between AI and the Self and AI and the Generalized Other? Are we in the process of confronting a newly formed triad consisting of the Self, Generalized Other, and AI? Self, Other(s), and AI Interactionists have maintained that humans take each other into account when engaging in social interaction. However, the emergence of AI leads to the question of how humans incorporate AI in their interaction with others. Should humans assign more weight to AI than the responses from other human interactants, if after all, AI becomes a more valid and objective source of information? However, while AI may seem as more valid, it could subvert the human’s creative process. Suggestions by AI could actually be a form of second guessing, providing a barrage of useless suggestions. AI could clog a user's creative process, by dispensing warnings or “error signals” that interrupt the flow of human activity. Instead of coming up with new insights, AI can interrupt the reflexivity associated with creativity. Social Interaction and AI Among different forms of interaction with AI, the one that has garnered much attention is the use of AI companions for mental health. Although lacking the distinctly familiar companionship that humans experience with one another, an AI companion exhibits potential for mental health care. AI companions can assist with users’ wellness and provide social support. AI companions work to support mental wellness, first, by allowing a user to describe his/her mood through writing, voice, note, or video. Then, the AI companion would quickly analyze the user's statement for signs of anxiety, depression, or loneliness, and provide a personalized, conversational recommendation for how the user can feel his/her best. Chatbots, designed to provide digital companionship, provide conversations that appear helpful owing to the immediacy of responsiveness. Using the vast exemplary examples of human responsiveness, chatbots effectively (at least seemingly so) display provocative personality traits and conversational flair. In so doing, AI companions allow users to share their feelings and thoughts, provide empathetic language to support them, and help humans deal with loneliness, anxiety, and depression. The AI “therapists” provide a sense of connection, and contribute to users' well-being. Questions to be addressed in this area also include how users develop relationships with AI companions like they do with traditional mental health providers, how trauma is processed using AI companions. Given the vast possibilities associated with the above, we welcome empirical research articles or conceptual papers that analyze and assess how AI is experienced in all human life endeavors. Topics to be addressed include, but not limit to: Mind and AI Self and AI Mental Health and AI Social Relationships and AI Medicine and AI Business and AI Education and AI Public Safety and AI Please send an abstract of no more than 750 words to Shing-Ling Sarina Chen (sarina.chen(a)uni.edu) by March 1, 2024. If the abstract is selected for inclusion, the final manuscript is due September 1, 2024. Looking forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Shing-Ling Sarina Chen Studies in Symbolic Interaction *********************************************** ReplyForward

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2024 State of the Net Keynote Transcripts
by Joly MacFie 19 Feb '24

19 Feb '24

Alan Davidson, NTIA Representative Don Beyer Deirdre Mulligan, White House Brendan Carr, FCC Alvaro Bedoya, FTC Keith Sonderling, EEOC Anna M. Gomez, FCC Clare Martorana & Mina Hsiang, White House Robert Silvers, DHS https://open.substack.com/pub/joly/p/2024-state-of-the-net-keynote-transcri… Mostly about AI, but Brendan Carr goes off on Title II and Apple's "walled garden', and Anna Gomez puts out an impassioned defense of ACP. -- -------------------------------------- Joly MacFie +12185659365 -------------------------------------- -

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Save the Date - Robert Gorwa at Manchester Metropolitan on Friday 1st March at 16:00 - The Politics of Platform Regulation
by Sophie Helen Bishop 19 Feb '24

19 Feb '24

*Eventbrite and room details to follow shortly! Save the date! * Date: Friday 1st March Time: 16:00 Location: Manchester Metropolitan University *Robert Gorwa (WBZ Berlin Social Science Centre)The Politics of Platform Regulation: How Governments Shape Online Content Moderation* As digital platforms have become more integral to not just how we live, but also to how we do politics, the rules governing online expression, behaviour, and interaction created by large multinational technology firms --- popularly termed ‘content moderation,’ ‘platform governance,’ or ‘trust and safety’ --- have increasingly become the target of government regulatory efforts seeking to shape them. In this talk, Robert Gorwa provides a summary of his first book, forthcoming with Oxford University Press, which provides a conceptual and empirical analysis of this important and emerging tech policy terrain of ‘platform regulation.’ How, why, and where exactly is it happening? Why now? And how do we best understand the vast array of strategies being deployed across jurisdictions to tackle this issue? *Bio* Robert Gorwa is a postdoctoral research fellow at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center. He conducts interdisciplinary empirical and conceptual research addressing the politics of technology policy with a special interest in government-industry relations and emerging socio-technical governance arrangements in the platform economy. Gorwa received his doctorate from the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford and is currently a fellow at the Center for Democracy and Technology and Centre for International Governance Innovation, as well as a co-founder of the Platform Governance Research Network (PlatGovNet). -- Dr Sophie Bishop www.sophiehelenbishop.com | @sophiehbishop

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