Category: Monthly Featured Member

Now Streaming: Stefka Hristova and Soonkwan Hong on IPEC Presents Podcast 

The fourth episode of IPEC’s monthly podcast is now streaming on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! Our guests, IPEC Director Stefka Hristova and Associate Director Soonkwan Hong discuss how their research relationship has developed over time and spanned university service-related projects, publication collaborations, and research development. Taking a critical perspective on AI and algorithms, we dive deep into the power relations at play in today’s techno cultural environment. Join us for a riveting discussion and learn how, as a general AI user, we can better educate and protect ourselves when interacting with these black box technologies.

Featured Member: Jason Archer

Jason Archer

Featured Member

This month, we’re featuring the work of one of the institute’s executive committee members, Dr. Jason Archer.

Jason is an Assistant Professor of Communication and Media Technologies, Director of Communication, Culture, and Media, and Human Machine Culture Research Area Lead for IPEC.

According to Jason, “I situate my research at the nexus of communication, media studies, science and technology studies (STS), and sensory studies, with emphasis on human-machine communication and haptics. I am currently working on projects related to human machine culture: robotic touch and sociality, surgical robotics and sociotechnical constructions of disability, and haptic holograms.”

Events

During this year’s 41 North Film Festival, Jason will be hosting a panel with Steven Walton and Charles Wallace after the screening of the film Time Bomb Y2K on November 2, 7:00 pm.

We’re excited to delve into Jason’s research in this month’s episode of the IPEC Presents Podcast, streaming on Spotify and Apple Podcasts November 7, at 6:00 am.

Human Machine Culture Research Area

The Human Machine Culture research area seeks diverse researchers interested in examining cultural debates about communicative machines (social robots, virtual agents, chatbots, and other AI entities), critiquing the culture of communicative machine development, investigating social practices arising from the integration of these machines into everyday life, and exploring the potential for novel artistic and expressive forms emerging through human machine configurations.  

The research area aims to establish connections between researchers of diverse disciplines, in areas of humanities, arts, sciences, and engineering to address the complexity and consequences of Human Machine Culture.