124264 KO Critical Media Analysis (2024S)

In the whirlwind of viral sensations like "The Pope in Balenciaga", images of the arrest of Donald Trump, or the surreal caricatures of "the most Austrian village ever" (make it more!), the past year has witnessed a surge in AI-generated images captivating online and print audiences alike. This phenomenon has sparked a spectrum of reactions ranging from disbelief and concern to unbridled enthusiasm, wondering whether this surge in AI techniques for amateur cultural production marks a tipping point in digital culture: new dimensions of creativity, playful artistic social commentary, fan culture, and unprecedented accessibility to once-elite techniques coexist with the darker side – harmful deep fakes, fake news, manipulative stereotyping, and the capitalist drive to exploit and monetize every facet of cultural production.

Does this call for new levels of critical media literacy capable of navigating the intricate (ab)use of technology, agency, and power in the age of AI? This course ventures beyond the purely technical exploration of AI and delves into what people, corporations, and politics can and do with this technology. We explore how power dynamics concerning class, race, gender, and ability are inscribed, produced, or challenged through the use of AI applications, their labor and production contexts, and their representations in popular culture. We will begin with foundational aspects of critical media literacy, extending to an exploration of ethical, ideological, political, and economic considerations surrounding the implications of AI for cultural production.

Fostering active participation and collaborative learning, the course blends e-lectures, discussions of class readings and case studies, small group in-class activities, and presentations by study groups. The objective is to empower students as informed navigators in the evolving media landscape, enabling them to consume, question, and contribute to media content critically and responsibly in the age of AI. Through the cultivation of students' abilities to evaluate media content influenced by AI, the course encourages AI literacy, a nuanced understanding of concepts such as authenticity, bias, and underlying power dynamics. Students will heighten their ethical and societal awareness by exploring AI's role in shaping cultural production, public opinion, reinforcing or challenging societal norms, and influencing cultural discourses and narratives. The course also equips students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world examples, delving into controversial cases in the creative industries and media. Practical insights are gained through hands-on tasks using AI apps in study groups. Furthermore, the course aims to enhance students' proficiency in annotating academic texts and communicating complex ideas related to critical media literacy and AI, both in written and oral forms.