On my first term I had the opportunity to delve deeper into many interesting topics related to the new media landscape on two courses: Transformations in Digital Culture and Real Virtualities. Using the PBL method, we had interesting and relevant discussions in our tutorials and it is hard to pick a favorite.
Transformations in Digital Cultures
On the Transformations in Digital Cultures course the topic that caught my attention the most was AI and algorithmic bias. As algorithms have become part of our lives, it is very important to get a deeper understanding of how do they work and the bias they can produce. Also, gendered robots bring a relevant discussion, as it is often the case that robots are assigned female gender and that can reenforce stereotypes. In addition to that, the role culture plays in an important factor to consider when talking about robots as we discussed in the tutorial. Moreover, I enjoyed learning about “uncanny valley”, a concept that was unknow to me, and that algorithm bias is not always problematic as it can also be used to remediate discrimination, for example. For the future, I would love to research more on algorithmic bias and their influence on decision-making for internet users.
Real Virtualities
On this course, I was confronted with some challenging readings and concepts. “Simulation; Experiencing digital hyperreality” was for me the most fascinating topic and probably the most difficult too. Taking Baudrillard’s definition of simulation and hyperreality, we drew a parallel between them and digital technologies. It was very interesting to notice how these concepts are present almost everywhere, like on social media for instance. That made me question the genuineness of most online interaction and this something I would like to research further. This discussion is especially relevant at a time when robots and digital companions are increasingly being part of our lives.
