Automated Media

What it covers

Our cultural and media lives are increasingly shaped by automation. In this unit you will examine the pervasive role of personalised feeds, recommendation systems, algorithms and artificial intelligence in everyday life. Drawing on examples from music, film, news, gaming, television, art, or social media, you will learn how technologies of automation are transforming cultural production, distribution and consumption. Topics may include: the cultural and economic logics of platforms, the politics of how content is made visible and discoverable, how algorithms shape our exposure to media and culture, how media makers are working with and against automation, and how we try to curate our own algorithms. Through a combination of case studies, conceptual analysis and independent research, you will investigate the evolution of automated systems, their impact on established media and cultural industries, and the emergence of new algorithmic cultures that influence our own sense of self, creativity and autonomy.

Assessment

When and where