COM Research Seminar: AI, Agency, and Power Geometries

30 Mar 2026 (Mon)

On 18 March 2026, Professor John Downey from Loughborough University delivered a seminar entitled “AI, Agency, and Power Geometries” in the Department of Media and Communication at City University of Hong Kong

In the seminar, Professor Downey addressed the academic challenges concerning the risk of neglecting AI’s insertion within broader geographies and politics beyond local cultures of AI. Drawing on an article proposing a pathway to apply the concept of power geometries, Professor Downey highlighted the significance of reframing the global dimension of AI in terms of power geometries to assist in locating these positions within the complex networks of relationships between different actors at the global level, thereby bringing the issue of agency to central stage.



Faculty members and doctoral students from the Department of Media and Communication attended the session and engaged in a lively and intellectually stimulating discussion. In responding to questions from the audience, Professor Downey shared his insights regarding new kinds of structures and trajectories generated by the reconfiguration of the question of agency, sparking a highly engaging academic exchange.

Professor John Downey holds the position of Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor at Loughborough University and serves as Professor of Comparative Media Analysis within the School of Social Sciences and Humanities. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and presently acts as Deputy Chair of the REF 2029 D34 sub-panel. His work is rooted in the tradition of the Frankfurt School, integrating discourse ethics, political economy, and cultural analysis. His current research focuses on media and politics in India, environmental communication, and the impact of AI on cultural industries.