Professor Wayne Hope: Artificial Intelligence, Tech Behemoths and the Future of Journalism

On 3 and 4 September, AUT’s Journalism, Media & Democracy (JMAD) research centre is holding a conference entitled “AI, Big Tech and Journalism”. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) arising out of information-communication infrastructures constitutive of the internet, refers to the interconnectivities of neural learning, machine learning, inter-computer programming, data science, robotics and algorithmic processing. Major tech behemoths—Alphabet/Google, Meta/Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, ByteDance, Alibaba, Tencent—have accumulated relevant technological expertise from acquired AI start-ups to supercharge their business models, economic power, and social reach and political influence. Recent arrival, Nvidia provides tech behemoths with chips, platforms and graphics-processing units for artificial intelligence tasks and infrastructures. Journalists of all kinds confront and investigate these developments as AI reshapes their workplaces and livelihoods. 

With these thoughts in mind, this conference includes presentations on the following themes: AI and Right-extremism; disinformation, distrust and democracy; AI and newsrooms; AI and journalism education; and AI controversies and investigative journalism (e.g., data centres, electricity and ecological damage; AI weapons technology and war; election campaign manipulation). The keynote speakers are: Nilesh Christopher, Timothy Ström and Silvia Montana-Nino. Blog readers are welcome to search their backgrounds and accomplishments.