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Call for Papers

 

Lights, Camera, Algorithm! AI's Role in the Ethics and Identities of Korean Hallyu and French Media

 

Boston University, College of Communication | October 8–9, 2025

 

As AI technologies rapidly transform media production worldwide, urgent questions arise about cultural authenticity, creative labor, and national identity in an algorithmic age. Prof. James E. Katz invites submissions for presentations at the upcoming international workshop "Lights, Camera, Algorithm! AI's Role in the Ethics and Identities of Korean Hallyu and French Media" hosted by Boston University's Emerging Media Studies Division.

 

This workshop will explore the cultural, ethical, and technological implications of generative artificial intelligence in two influential media ecosystems:

• South Korea's Hallyu (Korean Wave) — a global cultural export characterized by high production values, strategic branding, and alignment with national soft power goals.
• French popular media — particularly television, cinema, and digital content as interpreted through the philosophical work of Sandra Laugier, who views popular culture as sites of moral reflection on the ordinary.

 

The central inquiry concerns how AI technologies—such as automated dubbing, script analysis, synthetic video, deepfake technology, and AI-generated characters—are reshaping these traditions. We will examine both practical issues (authorship, labor, authenticity) and deeper philosophical questions (representation, agency, moral storytelling).

 

We Welcome Proposals

We invite 15-20 minute presentations that address any of the workshop themes, organized around the following areas:

 

Technical Applications & Innovation:

• AI's role in multilingual content creation and global accessibility
• Automated dubbing, subtitling, and localization technologies
• AI-generated characters and synthetic media in storytelling

 

Cultural Impact & Identity:

• AI's role in national media identity formation
• Comparative perspectives on soft power in the AI era
• Audience reception and parasocial relationships with AI-generated content

 

Ethical Considerations & Labor:

• Economic implications for creative industries and workforce
• Ethical and cultural trade-offs in AI-driven media optimization
• Questions of authorship, ownership, and creative authenticity

 

Philosophical & Regulatory Frameworks:

• Philosophical and ontological questions of AI-generated narratives
• Regulatory approaches to AI in media across different national contexts
• Moral storytelling and representation in algorithmic media

 

Submission Guidelines

• Abstract length: 200–300 words
• Include: Title, author(s), affiliation(s), and contact information
• Indicate: Whether the presentation is based on completed research or work-in-progress
• Format: In-person presentations only are expected

 

Deadline for submission: August 25, 2025

Notification of acceptance: August 30, 2025

 

Limited travel support is available for selected presenters. Please indicate in your submission if you would require travel assistance to attend in person.

 

Workshop proceedings will be considered for publication in a special journal issue. Selected papers may also be invited for an edited volume on AI and global media cultures.

 

Contact & Submission

 

Send abstracts to:

James E. Katz, Ph.D.

Feld Professor of Emerging Media

College of Communication, Boston University

Email: Katz2020@bu.edu

 

Registration details and workshop program will be provided upon acceptance. For questions about the workshop, please contact Prof. Katz at the email above.