Course Schedule

Start > Leuphana Bachelor (B.A./B.Eng./B.Sc./LL.B.) -> Major Digital Media -> Net Criticism

Lehrveranstaltungen

Critical AI Studies: Engaging with an Emergent Field of Research (Seminar)

Inhalt: Generative A.I. tools like ChatGPT, Gemini or Midjourney are transforming the ways in which the production of art, science, texts and news are practiced. A.I. tools are also being tested for accomplishing important tasks of government, policy deliberation and decision-making in all policy fields, ranging from migration and refugee management to healthcare and the distribution of welfare and proactive modes of “personalized government”. On a mundane level we already encounter A.I. tools in the form of chatbots on social media platforms, messengers and customer service portals. The ongoing “A.I.-revolution” thus undoubtedly has huge implications for the ways we work, live and interact with one another. At the same time, there are considerable concerns about the epistemic, social, political, psychological, environmental and economic implications of A.I., as illustrated by concerns about deskilling, immense job lay-offs, self-training A.I.’s spinning out of control, the record-breaking investments in computational power eventually leading to a bursting ‘A.I.-bubble’, the amplification of sexist and racist bias and content, or the proliferation of political misinformation and ‘deep fakes’. This course offers an introduction to the burgeoning field of critical A.I. studies which has emerged in response to these concerns and challenges. The main objective of this class is to learn more about the history, operational logics, potentialities, risks and limitations of A.I. through shared readings and practical engagements.

Leuphana Bachelor - Major Digital Media - Net Criticism

Critical Perspectives on Digital Activism (Seminar)

Dozent/in: Jana Hitziger

Inhalt: Specific affordances of digital technologies and specific features of giant software platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Google have become central to social movement organizing around the world. They have fundamentally altered the trajectories and dynamics of collective action. On the one hand they promote the rise of grassroots activism e.g., through enhanced and rapid connectivity and the possibility of providing space for marginalized voices. On the other hand, claims about “slacktivism” or “clicktivism,” terms that suggest low-effort actions requiring little commitment, raise concerns about the effectiveness and depth of digital engagement. In the context of authoritarian states, digital technologies also pose a significant risk: they can be repurposed to repress social movements and suppress grassroots mobilization. Furthermore, the platform politics of social media and their algorithmic filters complicate the relationship between digital media and collective action. In this seminar we critically examine these developments and tensions of a digitally-mediated activism. Potential questions include: How do digital technologies alter the strategies people use to effect political change? What strategies remain unchanged in the digital age? What kinds of public formations of civic engagement do online platforms support? How do networked platforms facilitate affective processes? How is affect, understood as potential for action or inaction, built up with technological affordances and platform design? How are these publics mobilized or immobilized through their information and communication practices? The course is divided into two parts. In the first part, students will gain foundational theoretical knowledge about core concepts such as contentious politics, collective and connective action, affective publics and platforms as political actors. In the second, more practical part, case studies showcasing both the democratic and antidemocratic potentials of digitally mediated affective publics will be analysed and connected to the theoretical frameworks. Additionally, students will gain insights into how to gather digital data and further develop their academic writing skills. By engaging with theoretical frameworks, historical developments, and case studies, students will gain a nuanced understanding of the transformative potential and limitations of digital media in contemporary social movements.

Leuphana Bachelor - Major Digital Media - Net Criticism