Call for Papers

Artificial Intelligence, Communication, and Social Transformation

Academic Conference
Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
September 4 to 5, 2026

Organized by the Department of Media and Communication, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Conference Theme

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming communication, media, journalism, education, creative industries, and everyday social life. AI systems are increasingly involved in how information is produced, circulated, interpreted, and governed. They shape everyday interactions, influence teaching and learning, affect journalistic practices, and create new forms of cultural production, fan engagement, and human-machine communication. At the same time, AI raises important questions about labor, creativity, emotions, resistance, representation, ethics, social trust, and the future of media and cultural industries. These developments create new opportunities for creativity, participation, and cross-cultural exchange, but they also require critical reflection on power, inequality, representation, ethics, and social trust.

The conference Artificial Intelligence, Communication, and Social Transformation aims to bring together scholars, PhD students, early career researchers, and practitioners to discuss how AI is reshaping communication and society. The conference will be organized around the Department of Media and Communication’s four research clusters: Digital Technology and Changing Society; Culture, Creativity and Communication; Journalism and Society; and Screen Studies and Popular Culture.

The conference welcomes theoretical, empirical, methodological, and practice-oriented contributions from media and communication studies and related fields.

Possible Topics

We especially encourage submissions related to the following topics, situated in the context of AI:

·        Everyday Life

·        Pedagogy

·        Journalistic Practices

·        Industrial Labor Rights

·        Film

·        Emotions

·        Resistance

·        Fan Production

·        Synthetic Aesthetics and the Future of Creative Industries

·        Human-Machine Communication in Cross-Cultural Contexts

Submission Guidelines

All submissions should be in English.

Abstracts should be approximately 200 to 250 words and include:

·        Title

·        Name, affiliation, and contact information of all authors

·        Research purpose or main argument

·        Methodology or approach, where applicable

·        Main findings, expected findings, or contribution

·        3 to 5 keywords

Panel proposals are also welcome. A panel proposal should be 500 to 600 words in total and include a short description of the panel as a whole, together with brief abstracts of the individual papers. Panels include 4–5 papers and last 90 minutes. Include the names, affiliations, and contact information of all authors.

Important Dates

·        Submission deadline: June 20, 2026

·        Notification of acceptance: June 30, 2026

·        Conference dates: September 4 to 5, 2026

Venue and Format

The conference will be held at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, SIP South Campus, Suzhou, China. We encourage scholars to attend in person at the venue. However, an online participation option will also be available for international attendees. Further details about the venue, travel, and accommodation will be shared closer to the conference date.

Registration

No registration fee is required. Participants are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses. Once accepted, attendees are expected to RSVP/confirm attendance via email.

Possible Outputs

Selected papers may be considered for a special issue, edited volume, or other research outputs developed after the conference.

Submission and Inquiries

Please submit your abstract using the submission button at the end of this page.

Any inquiries to: DMC.Conference@xjtlu.edu.cn

Organizing Committee

Prof. Michael Prieler, Dr. Xianwen Kuang, Prof. Xiaoling Zhang, Dr. Dharma Adhikari, Dr. Rong Ma, Dr. Gejun Huang, Dr. Hui Miao, and Dr. David Kurt Herold   

Department of Media and Communication

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University