AI and Communication

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already widely used in our daily communication. However, developments in AI technology mean that the ways in which we communicate—on an individual, group, and industry level—are constantly changing. Despite increasing scholarly attention on the use and applications of AI, many aspects of the relationship between AI and communication, including social, political, cultural, and ethical dimensions, are yet to be fully explored.

This Research Topic is an interdisciplinary exploration of the concerns and hesitancies about, as well as the potentials and opportunities of, AI and its effects on society’s communication. For example, AI can increase the speed of our communication, boost creativity and productivity, and arguably improve interpersonal perception. It can also be used to tackle seemingly monotonous tasks and ensure that we communicate in the most engaging ways. However, there are negative connotations regarding the use of AI technology in terms of audience interaction, and concerns about the technology’s bias, potential for social manipulation and surveillance, data privacy/security, and deepfakes.

The Research Topic accepts submissions via several journal sections:

Science and Environmental Communication

This article collection welcomes submissions on the influence of AI on the communication of science, technology, and environmental issues. Communicating about complex subject matters with diverse audiences poses particular challenges for which AI might offer assistance. Topics may include, but are not limited to: data analysis, content personalization, optimization of social media outreach, and adaptation of formats according to communication habits. Additionally, this collection encourages the exploration of issues related to ethics, accessibility, framing, fact-checking, and the development and reinforcement of echo chambers.

Media Governance and the Public Sphere

While the spread of algorithms and AI-driven communication offers numerous advantages for public communication, it also poses several risks and challenges across different levels—individual, organizational, and societal. This article collection invites contributions that examine these risks through the lens of media governance and communication ethics. Topics may include, but are not limited to: systematic inventories of the various risks attributed to communication with and about AI, the question of responsibility in the socio-technical constellations of AI-driven communication, evaluations of all kinds of governance scenarios and specific policy solutions relating to the diffusion of AI, and legal analyses and normative reflections about any of these issues.

Culture and Communication

This article collection welcomes submissions on topics such as language translation and chatbots. It also encourages submissions addressing ethical considerations, potential biases, and the impact of AI on human interaction within a culture context.

Visual Communication

This article collection welcomes submissions on topics related to visual communication and AI. Topics may include AI-generated images and visualizations and their use in public communication; challenges and ethical issues related to AI images (e.g., in journalism, corporate communications, or on social media platforms); AI-driven image analysis; and the representation of AI in images.

Organizational Communication

This article collection welcomes submissions on topics related to AI, communication, and organizing. Topics may include, but are not limited to: human-AI interaction in the workplace, AI and assimilation in organizations, AI and collaboration, and AI policy in organizations.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, AI, communication, science communication, environmental communication, health communication, organizational communication, media governance, public communication, visual communication, culture and communication

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.