[Commlist] Call for Papers for the International Conference "Generative Images - Generative Imageries: Challenges of Visual Communication (Research) in the Age of AI"

Call for Papers for the International Conference "Generative Images - 
Generative Imageries: Challenges of Visual Communication (Research) in 
the Age of AI" of the DGPuK (German Communication Association) Visual 
Communication Section,

co-sponsored by the Visual Communication Studies Division of the 
International Communication Association at the ZeMKI (Centre for Media, 
Communication and Information Research) of the University of Bremen

The conference is to be held from November 20-22, 2024 in Bremen.

Generative Images - Generative Imageries: Challenges of Visual 
Communication (Research) in the Age of AI

Societal discourse about the benefits, risks, and challenges of 
artificial intelligence (AI) is in full swing. To date much of the 
debate has focused on text-to-text generators such as Chat-GPT, Bing, or 
Bard (for a recent overview see Sachs-Hombach et al. 2023). Yet, rapid 
AI development is also fundamentally changing visual communication: With 
Stable Diffusion, Dall-E or Midjourney, powerful AI generators of images 
and image sequences have long been available whose output is impressive 
in terms of diversity, richness of detail and image complexity. AI- 
generated images have long been used in a variety of media, social, and 
political contexts - even for strategic persuasion and political 
propaganda - and without the generative origin being obvious to users or 
being disclosed.

Generative images - generative imageries (GI) - thus offer enormous 
potential to fundamentally change the production, use, reception and 
handling of images. At the same time, little light has been shed on what 
it actually means for our understanding of imagery when images are 
increasingly produced generatively. Does this mean the “end of truth” as 
the established German news magazine Der Spiegel headlined in July 2023 
emphasizing the challenges of generative imagery?

Against this background, we would like to use the upcoming international 
conference of the Visual Communication section of the DGPuK (German 
Communication Association) in Bremen and online to explicitly focus on 
taking stock of, reflecting on, discussing, and further developing our 
scientific understanding of generative images. In the context of the 
conference Generative Images - Generative Imageries we would like to 
explore the emerging field of tension around generative imagery and 
examine AI-generated images from four interrelated perspectives:

* From an object-centered perspective, in which we invite submissions, 
which address the specific characteristics, the specific communicative 
potentials and challenges of generative images in comparison to 
non-generative images. With regard to ‘photo-realistic’ generative 
media: How and, if applicable, under which conditions are images still 
“taken for true” in the age of their AI generativity? Is there a 
fundamental change in the communicative potentials that images bring to 
discourses? Do images lose originality and intrinsic value through the 
loss of the photographic representation of reality? Do they lose visual 
salience and attention-capturing power? With regard to non-realistic 
images: Which new or hybrid image genres emerge having which 
characteristics? And on the level of meta-reflection: How is the 
“cultural distinctness” of AI-generated images constructed in 
scientific, media-public and private discourse contexts? Which cultural 
imaginaries – from disruptive power, to evolutionary continuation within 
the history of image manipulation, to new creative potentials – 
accompany the advent of generative images? Which risks and opportunities 
are highlighted under which perspectives and premises? In which thematic 
contexts are the potentials and risks of generative images discussed?

* From a production-centered perspective, we seek contributions focusing 
on the production and presentation contexts of generative images in 
order to better understand routines and biases of the use of generative 
images. Submissions in this area could address questions such as: What 
are techniques, motives, and routines that favor the production and 
communicative use of AI-generated images? Which affordances and options 
for action do (different) AI image generators offer? Which are the 
commercial goals of the tech companies developing AI tools? How do they 
work and train their engines? Which data practices are linked to the 
production of generative images? : How far are generative images biased? 
What leeway for critical action on media algorithms exists? Which 
routines of action do laypersons and professional communicators develop 
in the context of the production and use of AI-generated images (e.g., 
“prompt engineering”)? To what extent do they reflect the artificial 
character of AI-generated images and possible consequences for visual 
communication (e.g., open questions of ownership)? Which – if any - 
transparency practices are exercised by the communicators themselves, 
highlighting the generative origin of pictures? By means of which 
authentication strategies (e.g. fact-checking; source-checking) do 
communicators check source material with regard to concrete AI generated 
and/or AI- augmented image elements?

* From a reception- and usage-oriented perspective, asking how people 
appropriate generative images: How do they encounter, distribute and 
discuss generative images, e.g. in social media? How do recipients 
recognize generative images? With which attitude of reception do they 
face (different forms and genres of) generative imagery? Through which 
reception-related practices, identifiers and conventions do recipients 
evaluate for themselves what claim to reality and what (symbolic) 
credibility generative images have? Which special visual or media 
literacy skills do users acquire when dealing with AI-generated images? 
Which ones do they lack in order to gain a reflective attitude of use 
and reception when dealing with AI-generated images?

* From a methodological and research-ethical perspective, we aim to 
discuss questions such as: Which (innovative) methodological approaches 
and procedures can we use to capture the particularities of AI-generated 
images? How can we empirically grasp their communicative production and 
presentation contexts? With which established and innovative methods 
(combinations) can we empirically illuminate their impact potentials? 
How and for which goals can we integrate generative images into existing 
or new visual research designs and strategies (e.g. as stimulus 
material)? What new challenges and questions arise with the use of AI in 
visual contexts? What new opportunities and functionalities are 
revealed? How to deal with open questions regarding copyright and 
protection of privacy? How to fight the abuse and harmful use of 
generative AI? How should the use of AI visuals be characterized in 
different contexts, such as art, politics, education etc.)?

The aim of the international conference is to discuss these and other 
questions on phenomena of generative imagery with national and 
international experts from the background of visual communication and 
media research, image science, as well as audience research and media 
effect studies, to situate them in the context of current approaches to 
analyzing the potentials and limits of communicative AI (Hepp et al, 
2022) and make them accessible for further scientific analysis. In 
addition to a clear commitment to the international and 
interdisciplinary orientation of visual communication research, the 
conference aims in particular to initiate and encourage conversations 
between visual communication research and other fields concerned with 
the impact of generative AI. Provided that they enrich the discussion of 
Generative Images - Generative Imageries in a broader sense, "creative", 
"unconventional" contributions to the conference theme are also welcome. 
Therefore, in addition to traditional submissions of academic 
presentations, submissions for innovative session formats with workshop 
character are encouraged, in which conference attendees can actively 
participate in advancing theoretical, conceptual and methodological 
reflection in creative settings. Aiming to establish common ground for 
interdisciplinary discussion, we kindly ask submitters to briefly 
outline their understandings of what generative images are, and from 
which approaches they look at the specific areas of interest.

The DGPuK (German Communication Association) Visual Communication 
section is particularly interested in promoting early career 
researchers. Therefore, we would like to explicitly encourage early 
career scholars and PhD students to submit. A best paper award will 
recognize outstanding contributions by emerging academics.

Submission Details

The contributions to be submitted should be original research and must 
not have already been published or presented in identical form; this 
must be explicitly stated on the cover sheet of the submission.

The conference language is English to allow inclusive discussion in a 
rapidly evolving and highly international research area. Presentations 
in alternative languages are possible, but must be prerecorded using 
English subtitles and slides. For the coordination of the conference, it 
should be noted on the abstract submission if the presentation will be 
pre-recorded in another language.

Please send your proposals for presentations (duration of the 
presentation: 15 minutes), full panels or creative sessions in the form 
of an "Extended Abstract" (800 words) as a pdf document via e-mail to 
the following recipients by July 15, 2024:

For the organizing institute:

Prof. Dr. habil. Stephanie Geise

ZeMKI (Centre for Media, Communication and Information Research), 
University of Bremen, E-mail: (sgeise /at/ uni-bremen.de)

For the DGPuK (German Communication Association) Visual Communication 
Section:

Dr. Wolfgang Reissmann, FU Berlin, E-mail: (wolfgang.reissmann /at/ fu-berlin.de)

For the ICA Visual Communication Studies Division:

Dr. Saumava Mitra, School of Communications | Dublin City University, 
E-mail: (saumava.mitra /at/ dcu.ie)

Review process

All proposals will be reviewed in an anonymous review process. 
Therefore, we ask that you add a separate cover sheet to the abstracts 
that includes the information (1) paper title and (2) name and contact 
information of the submitters. Please also remember to anonymize the 
file. In the review process, submissions will be judged on the following 
five criteria: (1) contribution to the conference topic, (2) 
plausibility of theoretical foundation, (3) appropriateness of approach 
(including methodology, if applicable), (4) clarity and conciseness of 
presentation, and (5) contribution to the research field (relevance & 
originality). Feedback on acceptance to the conference will be provided 
no later than August 2024.

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