Department of Media and Communication Center for Communication Research

COM and SCM joint Distinguished Lecture: Evolution of AI in Screen Culture: From AI Representation to AI Use in Cultural Production by Prof. Dal Yong JIN

12 Dec 2024 (Thu)

On December 12, 2024, Prof. Dal Yong Jin, a distinguished professor at Simon Fraser University, delivered an insightful seminar titled "Evolution of AI in Screen Culture: From AI Representation to AI Use in Cultural Production." This seminar is part of the Joint Distinguished Lecture Series A 2024/2025, co-hosted by the Department of Media and Communication and the School of Creative Media.
 
Prof. Jin is renowned for his extensive research and teaching in digital platforms, digital games, globalization and media, transnational cultural studies, and the political economy of media and culture. He has authored several influential books, including Digital Platforms, Imperialism and Political Culture, Globalization and Media in the Digital Platform Age, Understanding Korean Webtoon Culture: Transmedia Storytelling, Digital Platforms, and Genres, and Artificial Intelligence in Cultural Production. He is also the founding book series editor of Routledge Research in Digital Media and Culture in Asia.
 
The seminar focused on the transformative role of AI in the cultural industries throughout the early 21st century. Prof. Jin discussed how cultural creators and industry firms have increasingly integrated AI into their strategies, influencing various cultural forms such as films, music, gaming, and animation. He explained how AI technologies have been used from pre-production, supported by new technologies like ChatGPT, to post-production processes including CG/VFX. By examining the historical development and convergence of AI with screen culture, Prof. Jin highlighted key themes and advancements, addressing the continuity and change in cultural creation.
 
Key issues such as cultural creativity and intellectual property rights within AI-embedded cultural production were critically analyzed. The seminar also featured discussions by Younghan Cho, Professor of Cultural Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, and Pei-Sze Chow, Assistant Professor of Digital Culture and New Media at Nanyang Technological University. The seminar attracted around 40 PhD students and faculty members, as well as scholars from various disciplines and regions globally, who engaged actively and contributed to a thought-provoking discussion.