Provoking Generative AI Futures Merging Theory and Praxis

Editor’s Introduction: Generative AI and the Future of Communication
Regina Luttrell and Nicholas David Bowman

Part I
Theoretical Approaches and Emerging Inquiries in AI Communication

1. Predictable Panics, but with Purpose: Understanding our Perceptions of Generative AI
David Westerman and Nicholas David Bowman

2. Literary Theory for Large Language Models
David J. Gunkel

3. GPT-4-Trinis: Fine-Tuning an LLM on the Grammar of an Underrepresented English Variety
Samantha Jackson, Barend Beekhuizen, Zhao Zhao, Yi Cheng Zhao, and Rhonda McEwen

4. Detection Is Not Enough: Toward Explainable Attribution and Characterization of Synthetically-Generated Media
Regina Luttrell, Jason Davis, and Carrie Welch

5. Experiencing Generative AI: Technology’s Double-Edged Sword
Naren Chitty and Chenjun Wang

6. AI Sycophancy as Social-Moral Behavior
Jaime Banks

7. Generative AI and Disinformation: A Systematic Examination of Challenges and Opportunities for Public Communication
Thorsten Quandt, Johanna Klapproth, Saïd Unger, and Svenja Boberg

8. From Tools to Teammates: Social Norms, Perceived Agency, and Emotional Engagement in Generative AI
Travis Loof and John Symons

9. The Experience and Perception of AI-generated Narratives
W. P. Malecki, Tanja V. Messingschlager, Julla R. Winkler, and Markus Appel

Part II
AI in Communication Practice

10. Navigating the Artificial Intelligence Revolution: Perspectives from an Emerging Economy
Albert Anani-Bossman

11. Evaluating the Preparedness and Responsiveness of Public Relations Practitioners toward AI Integration in the Digital Communication Landscape
Jamie Ward

12. Unethical by Design: Tackling Bias in the Development and Deployment of Artificial Intelligence
Heather Walters

13. Generative AI Oversight: Who will watch the watchers?
Adrienne A. Wallace

14. Beyond Sentiment: AI and Social Media Measurement
Jeremy Harris Lipschultz

15. The Influence of AI on Media Pitching and Journalist Relations
Máté Koczka and Veronika Yashkina

16. The AI-Augmented Thought Leader: A Mixed-Methods Study of Owned Media in the Generative AI Era
Christina Nordquist Jacobs

17. Prompting the Frame: Rethinking the Camera and Cinematographic Practice
Milton Santiago

18. The Determinator: A Suggested Framework for Determining Appropriateness of Generative AI Use
Corinne Dalelio and Jeffrey Ranta

Part III
Global Perspectives and Early Observations

19. Generative Artificial Intelligence Ethical and Legal Issues in the Brazilian Media and Information Ecosystem: A Situational Analysis to Think From the Global South
Francisco Leite, Isabela Xavier Gonçalves, Luciana Moherdaui, and Telma Luiza de Azevedo

20. A Chronicle Inside Higher Ed: Efficiency and Integrity Framing of Artificial Intelligence in Two Major Higher Education Publications
Thomas C. Pantazes and Adam M. Rainer

21. AI Resurrection: Technological, Ethical and Spiritual Discourses Conflicts on Posthumous Communication in China
Liming Liu and Yiming Chen

22. Artificial Intelligence in the Press: A Research Note on Turkish Case
Mine Gencel Bek

23. Opportunities and Challenges of Using Generative AI in Indian Journalism

Bhavesh Chhippa, Prabhat Dixit, and Aditya Kumar Shukla

Biography

Regina Luttrell is Associate Professor of Public Relations and the Senior Associate Dean of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, USA. Her research interests focus on public relations, artificial intelligence, data analytics, a multi-generational workforce, and the intersection of social media with society.

Nicholas David Bowman is Professor of Communications in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, USA. His research considers the cognitive, emotional, physical, and social demands of interactive media technologies—from social media and video games to extended reality and human-machine interactions.

“A timely and grounded guide to the evolving role of generative AI in communication. This book examines how these technologies are reshaping authorship, creativity, and professional practice, moving beyond novelty to focus on meaningful integration. It will be an essential resource for scholars and practitioners navigating the future of media.”

 – Shengjie Yao, Sam Houston State University, USA

 

"Provoking Generative AI Futures: Merging Theory and Praxis is a standout text for anyone seeking to increase their understanding of the implications of artificial intelligence for media and communication. Bringing together leading scholars and practitioners, Provoking Generative AI Futures presents a multi-faceted perspective of how people’s adoption of AI technologies is changing media industries, organizational communication, and interpersonal relationships. This book stands apart in that it helps the reader to understand both the effects of AI for how people communicate and the theory behind people’s motivations, decision-making, and perceptions of AI. Students and scholars alike will benefit from the depth and breadth of its examination of GenAI."

– Andrea L. Guzman, Northern Illinois University, USA

 

“With generative AI's – in particular large language models – emergence into our everyday lives, it is increasingly important that communication scholars be involved in the ongoing discourse and research regarding generative AI. Luttrell and Bowman's volume represents a critical early step in outlining how the field of communication can contribute to understanding the processes and outputs of LLM interactions with human communication, including sender and receiver variables, interpersonal processes, and effects on mass communication.” 

– Bree McEwan, University of Toronto, Canada