Co-authored by Perplexity Preface There continues to be a long and loud sturm und drang about Generative artificial intelligence. I am responsible for some of it because I helped to create the GenAI Agent Imposter podcast in this issue. One GenAI innovation is the ability to dialogue with users. I have had conversations with a virtual Hamlet, Ophelia, Adolf Hitler, … [Read more...] about Being an AI in a Marshall McLuhan World
Artificial Intelligence
The metaphysics of Marshall Mcluhan: Technology, Ethics and Human purpose
Abstract In 1954, Jacques Ellul, a French philosopher, wrote a book called The Technological Society which posited that once new technologies are developed their application becomes almost inevitable. Ellul warned that personal transformation is necessary to retain one’s humanity in the face of technological imperatives. “Technique,” as he called expanding technology, needed … [Read more...] about The metaphysics of Marshall Mcluhan: Technology, Ethics and Human purpose
“Making the familiar strange again”: media effects, knowledge construction, and media literacy in the age of artificial intelligence.
Abstract In an era where media technologies, from legacy broadcast to social networks and generative AI, pervade everyday life, the once-invisible media environment demands renewed scrutiny. This article re-examines media effects and knowledge construction through a critical lens that “makes the familiar strange again.” Drawing on media ecology, constructivist epistemology, … [Read more...] about “Making the familiar strange again”: media effects, knowledge construction, and media literacy in the age of artificial intelligence.
McLuhan’s Playground
Co-authored by Perplexity AIhttps://www.perplexity.ai Abstract Here, the interplay between human intervention and AI assistance becomes part of the story itself, illustrating how technological tools—no matter how advanced—are never fully autonomous but exist in dialogue with the human creativity that guides them. Keywords Artificial Intelligence, Marshall McLuhan, … [Read more...] about McLuhan’s Playground
GenAI Agent Imposters: A Cautionary Tale: A Podcast
Abstract A conversation exploring a GenAI agent impersonating a student reveals a provocative question for education: what happens when participation—and learning itself—can be fully automated? Neil Andersen interviews Gina Marcello - Link to Podcast Keywords Podcasts, Artificial Intelligence, Generative Artificial Intelligence You are teaching an asynchronous online … [Read more...] about GenAI Agent Imposters: A Cautionary Tale: A Podcast
One Plus One Equals Three: A review of Dr. Paolo Granata’s Generative Knowledge
Abstract Unlike many reviewers, I often read the front matter and after-matter (index, glossary, and bibliography) of a new book before reading further. In the very first essay within his front matter, a prologue entitled “The Divine Move”, we discover that Paolo Granata’s Generative Knowledge:Think, Learn, Create With AI (Wiley Blackwell, 2025, 276 pp.) is not another … [Read more...] about One Plus One Equals Three: A review of Dr. Paolo Granata’s Generative Knowledge
Hot Knowledge, Cool Action? Designing Digital Knowledge Platforms in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Abstract Digital knowledge platforms have become central instruments in sustainable development, yet their effectiveness in translating information into action remains limited. Despite substantial investment, many platforms function as static repositories rather than participatory systems that support learning, interpretation, and behavioural change. Drawing on empirical … [Read more...] about Hot Knowledge, Cool Action? Designing Digital Knowledge Platforms in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
One Plus One Equals Three: A review of Dr. Paolo Granata’s Generative Knowledge
Unlike many reviewers, I often read the front matter and after-matter (index, glossary, and bibliography) of a new book before reading further. In the very first essay within his front matter, a prologue entitled “The Divine Move”, we discover that Paolo Granata’s Generative Knowledge:Think, Learn, Create With AI (Wiley Blackwell, 2025, 276 pp.) is not another critique of the … [Read more...] about One Plus One Equals Three: A review of Dr. Paolo Granata’s Generative Knowledge
Why I Keep McLuhan Alive in the Classroom
You know that feeling when your students casually drop, “Oh yeah, I ran that prompt through ChatGPT already” before class even begins? It’s like AI is no longer a guest in the classroom, it’s already part of the furniture. In moments like that, it’s tempting to throw up your hands and scramble for brand-new theories. But recently I’ve been turning back to Marshall McLuhan, and … [Read more...] about Why I Keep McLuhan Alive in the Classroom
AI and Therapy
With AI on the rise, it has left aspiring and established therapists and counselors in a realm of uncertainty. As AI gets smarter through its understanding of human thought patterns, there has been an assumption amongst some that AI can eventually take over the counseling space and execute the therapeutic process as well as a human being can. Some people may think to … [Read more...] about AI and Therapy
The Ecomedia Commons: An Ecomedia Literacy Analysis of ChatGPT
Abstract This article proposes ecomedia literacy as a critical framework for exploring the intricate relationship between artificial intelligence (AI), media, and the environment. The authors argue for a nuanced awareness of AI's symbolic, discursive, and material impacts on the planet, advocating for responsible and ethical engagement with emerging technologies. They explore … [Read more...] about The Ecomedia Commons: An Ecomedia Literacy Analysis of ChatGPT
Tik Tok, Teenagers and Phygital Wars
Abstract Teenagers consume news via social media, along with entertainment, sports, and user-generated content (UGC). Politicians and institutions use platforms to promote themselves, but these same platforms are used to spread misinformation. Rapid advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) blur the lines between physical and digital, making it difficult for young media … [Read more...] about Tik Tok, Teenagers and Phygital Wars
Making the invisible visible: Emancipatory approaches to algorithmic literacy in Brazilian education
Abstract Systems powered by artificial intelligence are increasingly present in our daily lives. While the use of AI enhances convenience and accelerates innovation, it also raises critical concerns regarding privacy, information integrity and trust, and may deepen inequalities. “Making the invisible visible” is a presentation in ’zine format of EducaMídia’s efforts to bring … [Read more...] about Making the invisible visible: Emancipatory approaches to algorithmic literacy in Brazilian education
Navigating My AI Journey: The Power of Literacy in Overcoming Challenges
Abstract In the face of rapid AI advancements, my unexpected layoff from Microsoft News in June 2020 marked the beginning of a transformative journey. With a rich journalism background spanning over a decade, including roles at Zeenews and Jagran, I found myself grappling with uncertainty. This led to a deep curiosity about AI, prompting me to enroll in a PhD program despite … [Read more...] about Navigating My AI Journey: The Power of Literacy in Overcoming Challenges
Recognizing the Agentic Shift
Being human means being capable of solving moral challenges. Yet, just as there exists the pain of thinking, there is pain of decision-making and humanity seems to be on a quest of shifting that responsibility to AI, seeking relief from the very weight that defines human experience. We thought technological progress was needed for humans to flourish, but it seems we use it to … [Read more...] about Recognizing the Agentic Shift
Navigating the Digital Era: Media Literacy in the Age of AI
In today’s media landscape, media literacy has become a crucial skill for navigating the waves of information bombarding us from all directions. The fast progress of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have raised the need of understanding how AI shapes and influences the media we consume. AI algorithms control how we experience much of the media we consume … [Read more...] about Navigating the Digital Era: Media Literacy in the Age of AI
Media Literacy Education: Counteracting the Disruption
Censorship, cancel culture, Generative AI, ethics, or lack of ethics are topics found daily in the media as well as mainstream conversation. Where is the media literacy education amid the concerns that have arisen? It should be front and center, but the problem is that the heartbeat of the work is missing as its focal point. In part, because people are so focused on the … [Read more...] about Media Literacy Education: Counteracting the Disruption
Media Literacy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Increasingly, information that shapes our understanding of the world is being generated and distributed by Artificial Intelligence (AI), an anonymous, technologically based neural network machine learning model that employs ChatGPT to assimilate content. ChatGPT is a large language model developed by OpenAI, based on the GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) … [Read more...] about Media Literacy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence in Education: A Media Education Approach
**Reprinted with author's permission** For further writing on media education and related issues, see David Buckingham's website: www.davidbuckingham.net What are the implications of artificial intelligence for media educators, and for the media themselves? Last weekend, a letter by a group of British headteachers was published in … [Read more...] about Artificial Intelligence in Education: A Media Education Approach
The Concerns of Artificial Intelligence
The history of visual media has demonstrated that the truth does not lie in a plain image. A picture speaks louder than words; it can also tell lies. Artificial intelligence is increasingly illustrating disinformation. As technology has made advancements, it has been harder than ever to distinguish between photos depicting the truth and photos intended to distribute … [Read more...] about The Concerns of Artificial Intelligence
