[Commlist] Call for papers: Robots, recommenders and responsibility: where should the media go with AI

Call for papers: Robots, recommenders and responsibility: where should 
the media go with AI?

AI-driven tools play an increasingly important role on many levels of 
the process of making and distributing news. In the field of journalism, 
this ranges from smart tools that assist journalists in producing their 
stories to the fully automated production of news stories (robot 
journalism), and from audience analytics that inform editorial board 
decisions to the AI-driven recommendation of which contents and users to 
match. As such, AI-driven tools are more than simple tools. They are 
part of a more structural transformation of what it means to make news, 
to engage with the audience, and to be an informed citizen.

The integration of AI-driven tools into the journalistic process raises 
not only a host of challenging professional, technical and 
organizational questions. Intense debates about filter bubbles, privacy, 
shifting power dynamics, gatekeeping, editorial independence and the 
metrification of journalistic values and fundamental rights also touch 
upon the legal, ethical, societal and democratic implications that the 
use of AI in the media can have. So far, much of the discussion has 
centered around social media platforms. But what are the implications of 
the introduction of AI-driven tools for the legacy media and its role of 
informing, being a critical watchdog and providing a forum for public 
debate? What are the implications of the ongoing trend to automatisation 
for the realisation of public values and fundamental rights? How do new 
legal frameworks, such as the GDPR or the plans of the EC to regulate AI 
affect the media? And are the existing journalistic codes and 
professional principles useful to guide journalists and editors in an 
age of AI?

Symposium
The goal of this symposium on 24-25 June 2020 in Amsterdam is to discuss 
the societal and democratic role of AI-driven tools in the media, the 
fundamental rights at stake, and the ethical, legal and technological 
(design) conditions need to ensure that algorithms and AI create 
opportunities, and not threats for our democracy. This cannot be done 
from the perspective of one or two disciplines alone. We therefore hope 
to bring together a community of scholars from journalism and media 
studies, communication and computer science, law, STS, economics and 
whoever has an interest to contribute, despite his or her disciplinary 
affiliations. Together, such a group of scholars could have a true 
impact on how algorithms and AI can make a difference for the better in 
media and democracy - for academia and society.

We invite papers on, for example:
- How journalists, editors and media corporations use AI and algorithms 
to contribute to, and expand on their editorial mission, for example 
through news recommenders and robot journalism;
- On how the introduction of digital technologies changes our very idea 
of news, and what it means to be an informed citizen;
- Investigations into the shifts of powers, roles and responsibilities, 
and new gatekeeper positions as a result of the introduction of AI in 
the journalistic process;
- Studies into the way how the use of AI and algorithms in the media 
affect the ability of citizens to benefit from their right to freedom of 
expression, to form and hold opinions, and make informed political choices;
- How journalistic and public values such as diversity, objectivity, 
relevance, etc. can be translated and preserved in algorithmic design 
and routines;
- Governance of the use of data, AI and algorithms in the news media;
- Proposals on the maintenance of accountability and public oversight 
over editorial AI, including the roles and responsibilities of different 
regulatory authorities, but also the role of public institutions in 
supporting and stimulating technological innovation in the newsmedia;
- The influence of different national, cultural and societal contexts 
for the assessment of above questions.

We invite specifically young scholars to send in their work, and also 
encourage work in progress.

Please send in an abstract of 500 words to (personews /at/ ivir.nl).

Important dates:
- Deadline for abstracts: 3 February 2020.
- Notification of acceptance around 21st of February.
- Deadline for the final papers (or advanced draft): 25th of May.
- The conference: 24 and 25 of June 2020.

We explore the possibility to facilitate the publication of a selection 
of articles in a (leading) journal.
We have deliberately chosen for a small-scale event, with maximal time 
for discussion and engagement. A selected number of papers will be 
presented and commented on by one or two commentators, followed by a 
plenary discussion. Next to presenters and commentators, a limited 
number of places is available for non-active participants.
We have limited travel funds available for those who lack the means to 
pay for travel to attend the symposium. Please only apply for a travel 
grant if there is no other way for you to attend the conference. 
Priority will be given to speakers and commenters. To apply for 
(partial) refunds of your travel costs, please send a brief 
justification of the need for financial support, the estimated costs and 
a declaration that the applicant will not be able to attend without 
financial support from some source external to their own institution.

This symposium is made possible with the help of the Fritz Thyssen 
Foundation and an ERC grant for the PersoNews project - an ERC-funded 
project that looks into the implications of AI and algorithms for the 
democratic role of the digital media, user rights and public information 
policy.

For further questions and information, please contact: Prof. Dr. Natali 
Helberger at (n.helberger /at/ uva.nl).
See also https://www.ivir.nl/call-for-abstracts-personews/.

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