Semiotics in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Symbols, Discourses, Consumption, Branding

This volume advances the understanding of meaning-making in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) by adopting a semiotic perspective. It repositions semiotics as a discipline capable of engaging in a mutually fruitful dialogue with the social sciences. It explores processes of signification in emerging forms of human/non-human coexistence, focusing on the interdependence between consumption, technology, society, and culture, with particular attention to the role played by brands.

The chapters raise a number of key questions: What methodologies can be employed to effectively study interactions among humans, non-human entities, and intangible elements (such as algorithms) in the construction of meaning? How can core notions such as enunciation, veridiction, and anthropomorphism be rethought in light of the expressive forms produced by AI? How can the complex operations of AI be interpreted through the lenses of translation and multimodality, and what challenges does this scenario pose to these concepts? What role do leading brands play in mitigating consumer resistance to the adoption of such technologies? What kinds of forms of life emerge and stabilize when humans accept delegating knowledge, passions, and actions to devices endowed with unprecedented levels of agency? How does AI represent itself?

This volume is of appeal to a wide readership across the social sciences, cultural and media studies.