May 7-8, 2026
Roskilde University, Denmark
Emerging forms of AI, in particular GenAI, are fundamentally reshaping contemporary media and communication research and educational practices. Recent estimates show that ChatGPT alone processes approx. 2.5 billion prompts daily, which shows the speed and scale at which such tools are currrently adopted in various contexts. AI developments do not only raise fundamental critical questions about the changing conditions of media and communication, agency, power, journalistic practices, organisational structures, etc., but also spark profound methodological and epistemological debates, which challenge the status quo of academic research, teaching and learning.
Current AI developments echo, mirror and build upon previous technological innovations, all of which have been subject to critical inquiry and are deeply embedded into broader societal and cultural transformations. Over the past five decades, such developments have continuously redefined the study objects of media and communication research, expanding the field from its early focus on mass media and television to encompass a wide array of digital platforms and datafied infrastructures. SMiD 2026 invites scholars and educators to engage in discussions and reflections on how media and communication research can provide adequate responses to the pressing questions contemporary societies are facing in the era of AI.