COM Research Seminar: Why Free Speech Alone Cannot Save Democracy in the Age of AI: When Information Markets Fail

27 Mar 2026 (Fri)

On March 16, 2026, Professor Jeong-Nam Kim delivered a lecture titled “Why Free Speech Alone Cannot Save Democracy in the Age of AI: When Information Markets Fail.” 

In this seminar, Professor Kim demonstrated how the contemporary public sphere operates through two competing information markets: one that produces manifest information through legacy epistemic institutions, and another that produces interpretive information. Cognitive biases, engagement-driven platforms, and the near-zero cost of AI-generated pseudo-information systematically disadvantage empirically grounded information, leading to information market failure. He further highlighted that protecting democracy requires expanding the normative framework from freedom of speech to freedom of listening.





Both faculty members and doctoral students from the Department of Media and Communication attended the session. The audience engaged in a lively and intellectually stimulating discussion during which Professor Kim shared valuable insights drawn from his research and observations, fostering a highly enlightening atmosphere.



Professor Jeong-Nam Kim is a KAIST Chair Professor in the Department of AI & Futures Studies, College of Artificial Intelligence, and Moon Soul Graduate School of Future Strategy at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). His research spans AI-human collaboration, co-intelligence, public and strategic communication, risk and health communication, and the intersection of digital media and information science.