The Internet - from "Nuclear Hardened" Networks to Algorithmic Governmentality

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 17:15:36 +0000

References

Beck, Estee. "Who Is Tracking You?: A Rhetorical Framework for Evaluating Surveillance and Privacy Practices." In Cyber Law, Privacy, and Security: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications, pp. 121-138. IGI Global, 2019.

Belk, Russell. “Extended self and the digital world.” Current Opinion in Psychology 10 (2016): 50-54.

Chen, Ning, and Yu Chen. “Smart city surveillance at the network edge in the era of iot: opportunities and challenges.” Smart cities: development and governance frameworks (2018): 153-176.

Lesson 7: Rhetorical Artifacts

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 21:00:04 +0000

Posted by: Keren Wang

Before you start this lesson, please READ: Berger, Arthur Asa. 2024. Media and Communication Research Methods: An Introduction to Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. 3rd ed. Chapter 4, “Rhetorical Analysis.” Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781071939017.

1. Overview

What do you think of when you hear the word “artifact”? In rhetorical scholarship, the term “artifact” is not limited to historical objects or museum pieces. Instead, it encompasses various texts, speeches, symbolic objects, and events produced by humans.

In communication research, one key difference between rhetorical and critical methods and other qualitative research methods is that, while qualitative methods such as interviews, observations, and focus group studies revolve around studying human subjects, rhetorical scholars analyze rhetorical artifacts, or “texts” that have already been produced.

New Research Project: Artificial Intelligence and Human Sacrifice

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 02:36:41 +0000

On December 4, 2024, news broke that a lone gunman had assassinated UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive officer, Brian Thompson, outside the company’s headquarters.¹ The killing itself was shocking, but what unsettled many observers was the wave of sympathy that quickly coalesced around the perpetrator—donations, online tributes, and statements of support that revealed a raw seam in America’s collective experience of health care.² This dramatic act of killing is entangled with the dark trajectory in the devolution of the marketized healthcare industry in the United States: normalizing traumatic acts of takings, with increasingly unsustainable industry practices justifying the suspension of pre-existing taboos concerning the sanctity of life and the boundaries of wealth transfer.³

MEDIA & VIOLENCE - A Transnational Perspective

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 18:23:19 +0000

Lesson Module by Keren Wang, updated 4 Nov 2025.

This lesson module examines the contested and ambivalent relationship between media and violence from historical and transnational perspectives.

1. Violence as Ritual & Power: Historical and Global Perspectives

Let's open this session with a reference from Greek mythology: consider the telltale of Prometheus, whose theft of fire from the Olympian gods for humanity’s benefit inadvertently brought both civilization and destruction. Like Prometheus’s fire, the development of media technology simultaneously brings enlightenment and cataclysm.

1.1 Rhetorical Artifacts and Human Sacrifice

The history of the development of writing technology overlaps with the history of war propaganda and human sacrifice.^[1] As early as the Narmer Palette, one of the earliest hieroglyphic artifacts ever found from circa 3200 BCE depicting scenes of conquest and violence:

Similarly, during the height of the Chinese Bronze Age, also known as the Shang dynasty (c. 1250–1046 BC) produced ritual bronze artifacts at monumental proportions -- such as the 833 kg (1,836 lbs) Houmuwu Ding -- one of the heaviest bronze vessel from the ancient world -- and the 13-foot (3.96 m) tall Sanxingdui bronze tree (c. 1200 BC):

Evaluating Online Sources

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 20:28:08 +0000

1. OVERVIEW

This lesson will be focusing on understanding and evaluating evidence and information sources, a crucial aspect of constructing persuasive arguments. It explains how evidence interacts with values, and presents general tests for assessing the quality of evidence. We will also be learning how to locate and evaluate various sources of evidence, guiding you on choosing reliable information from books, periodicals, websites, and more. The chapter emphasizes the importance of digital literacy and critical evaluation of different types of sources.

Media Bias Chart published by Ad Fontes Media, 2020. Fact-checking always lags behind the emergence of new biased sources of information.

2. UNDERSTANDING EVIDENCE

Evidence and Values

In public discourse, evidence is invariably filtered through the "terminal screens" of societal norms and cultural values, leading to divergent interpretations even when presented with the same set of facts. Consider, for instance, debates surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI) and employment. For techno-optimists, as represented by some Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, rapid technological advancements are seen as essential for societal evolution. They may interpret the emergence of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) labor as an auspice for accelerated economic growth, productivity, and innovation, contending that AI liberates human workers from repetitive labor and allows greater engagement in creative, strategic, or emotionally rewarding tasks. Conversely, many labor advocates and trade unionists may interpret the prospect of an AGI workforce less positively. As critics of unchecked technological disruption, they might perceive this development as a harbinger of livelihood displacement, expressing concerns that automation could trigger widespread unemployment, diminish workers' bargaining power, and deepen existing economic inequalities. Such rhetorical divergence highlights how interpretations of evidence surrounding AI's impact are strategically framed to reinforce broader narratives of either progress or caution.

This example illustrates that the interpretation of evidence is not merely a neutral or objective process but is deeply intertwined with rhetorical constructions that reflect and reinforce specific value systems. Recognizing this interplay is crucial for understanding the dynamics of public debates and the ways in which information is presented and perceived.

Dasein, ChatGPT, and the Ritology of AI: Special lecture at East China University of Political Science and Law, Shanghai, June 18 2023 (updated_

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 12:55:09 +0000

Dasein, ChatGPT, and the Ritology of AI:

Special lecture at East China University of Political Science and Law, June 18, 2023

What philosophical mischief might we unleash if Plato’s Cave or Zhuangzi's Well suddenly became inundated by algorithms, with the sound and fury of GeForce RTX™ GPU fans, insisting they’ve seen the light?

Extended Abstract:

This WIP paper builds off a guest lecture I have presented at the East China University of Political Science and Law (ECUPSL) in Shanghai, June 18, 2023. In this lecture, I had the privilege of sharing some of the preliminary research questions for my ongoing transdisciplinary survey, focusing on the intricate interplay between artificial intelligence and phenomenology. I will be highlighting the potentially profound implications of AI and its existential entanglements, particularly revolving around the context of Heidegger’s concept of Dasein, and problematize some common ethical and ontological issues connected to being-AI-in-our-world.

The relentless acceleration of innovation in large language models (LLMs) and artificial neural networks (ANNs), embodied by transformative technologies like ChatGPT, deepfakes, and AI-generated art, has ignited a dual fire of awe and trepidation among technologists, ethicists, policymakers, and the broader public. As a vast body of literature explores the societal, ethical, and epistemological ripples of this ongoing technological upheaval—particularly within the fields of Information, Science, and Technology (IST)—this project seeks to offer a novel contribution by bringing into focus the lens of phenomenology: an intricate branch of philosophical inquiry renowned for its profound and methodical examination of the fundamental structures of human consciousness. By advocating for a phenomenological perspective, the project aims to illuminate how AI’s disruptions reshape not only our daily lives but also our understanding of what it means to be. In doing so, it offers critical insights into the interplay between human and supra-human consciousness, reframing our relationship with emerging technologies and their implications for the future of sentient existence.

Demystifying The Chinese Social Credit System - Presentation for the Symposium on China’s Data Governance and its Impact on US-China Relations, hosted by the Carter Center China Focus

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 21:46:45 +0000

Demystifying The Chinese Social Credit System - Presentation for the Symposium on China’s Data Governance and its Impact on US-China Relations, hosted by the Carter Center China Focus

Introduction:

There is nothing new about public authorities using collected numerical info as a governing technology. Census has been a central governance tool throughout Ancient Rome and Imperial China. In fact, the need for keeping taxation records was a key historical exigence driving the invention of many earliest writing systems.

Throughout human history, public authorities have relied on collected numerical data as a tool for governance. This was evident with the census in Ancient Rome and Imperial China, where early writing systems were developed primarily for taxation records. The digitization of data and advancements in data science have revolutionized governance-by-data, making it continuously updated and more encompassing. The Chinese Social Credit System (SCS) is a testament to this evolution. Despite its significance, the SCS remains misunderstood, especially outside the Global North. Today, I aim to provide clarity on this topic, considering its implications on human rights and rule of law both within and beyond China, and shedding light on US-China relations. This talk will bring together relevant historical, rhetorical, socio-cultural and legal contexts to unpack the emergent structures of the Chinese social credit system and data governance experiments. By catalyzing greater open dialogue and critical inquiry on this thorny topic, this lecture seeks to advance the vision of The Carter Center and contribute to a deeper understanding of the past, present, and future of US-China relations.

Event Announcement: China’s Data Governance and Its Impact on U.S.-China Relations, Sept 26th at The Carter Center

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 10:50:24 +0000

We are pleased to announce an upcoming hybrid symposium titled “China’s Data Governance and Its Impact on U.S.-China Relations” organized by The Carter Center, Emory University, China Research Center, Georgia State University, and Spellman College.

Event Details:

Date: September 26, 2023 Time: 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm

Location (in-person): Cyprus Room, The Carter Center , 453 John Lewis Freedom Parkway NE | Atlanta, GA 30307

Virtual Attendance Registration: Register Here

Event Description:

The relationship between the United States and China is currently facing significant challenges, particularly in the areas of technology and national security. Unfortunately, many misconceptions surround the development of the Chinese data governance system, often exacerbated by sensationalized discussions in the public discourse on US-China relations. This symposium aims to dispel these myths and provide a nuanced understanding of Chinese data governance and its implications for US-China relations. It seeks to foster open and critical dialogue among scholars, policymakers, and practitioners, offering an in-depth update on the topic.

Speakers:

Obse Ababiya, Associate Director, Office of Global Strategy and Initiatives at Emory University
Larry Catá Backer, Professor of Law and International Affairs, Penn State Law School
Jamie Horsley, Senior Fellow, Paul Tsai China Center at Yale Law School | John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings Institution
Aynne Kokas, C.K. Yen Professor at the Miller Center and Associate Professor of Media Studies, University of Virginia
Maria Repnikova, Associate Professor in Global Communication, Georgia State University
Keren Wang, ACLS Emerging Voices Fellow, Emory University Department of Russian and East Asian Languages and Cultures

The symposium is being convened by Dr. Yawei Liu, Senior Advisor on China at The Carter Center and Dr. Keren Wang of Emory University Department of Russian and East Asian Languages and Cultures

Agenda:

1:30 pm: Ms. Obse Ababiya opens the meeting, introducing the organizers and sponsors

1:35 pm: Opening remarks by Dr. Maria Repnikova

AI on Keren Wang

The Internet - from "Nuclear Hardened" Networks to Algorithmic Governmentality

References

Lesson 7: Rhetorical Artifacts

1. Overview

New Research Project: Artificial Intelligence and Human Sacrifice

MEDIA & VIOLENCE - A Transnational Perspective

1. Violence as Ritual & Power: Historical and Global Perspectives

1.1 Rhetorical Artifacts and Human Sacrifice

Evaluating Online Sources

1. OVERVIEW

2. UNDERSTANDING EVIDENCE

Evidence and Values

Dasein, ChatGPT, and the Ritology of AI: Special lecture at East China University of Political Science and Law, Shanghai, June 18 2023 (updated_

Dasein, ChatGPT, and the Ritology of AI:

Special lecture at East China University of Political Science and Law, June 18, 2023

Extended Abstract:

Demystifying The Chinese Social Credit System - Presentation for the Symposium on China’s Data Governance and its Impact on US-China Relations, hosted by the Carter Center China Focus

Demystifying The Chinese Social Credit System - Presentation for the Symposium on China’s Data Governance and its Impact on US-China Relations, hosted by the Carter Center China Focus

Introduction:

Event Announcement: China’s Data Governance and Its Impact on U.S.-China Relations, Sept 26th at The Carter Center

Event Details:

Event Description:

Speakers:

Agenda: