Empowering young media innovators to shape artificial intelligence and the global technological landscape
Globally, anxiety surrounds the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI), as many recognize the profound implications of this technology. Nishant Shah, professor of global media and communications at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, believes that generative AI is a development we should approach with caution, even fear, due to its potential impacts.
Paradigm shifts of new technologies
There are significant parallels between generative AI and past technological innovations like Google, Nishant explained to a group of media students. Both generative AI and Google's rise, often referred to as "Googleization”, represent paradigm shifts in the digital landscape, according to Nishant. However, while technology has always evolved, the current pace of generative AI is unprecedented.
As Nishant explained, when Google introduced its search engine, it fundamentally changed how the world interacted with the internet. Google searching became the default mode of engagement, and people surrendered significant control over how data was organized, stored, and retrieved to algorithms. This shift not only influenced individual practices but also reshaped broader concepts of rights, representation, agency, and ownership.
Generative AI marks a similarly transformative moment in digital technologies, but with even more profound implications. Nishant pointed out that while search engines promised to reveal information in response to queries, generative AI operates differently. Instead of offering multiple sources for users to explore, AI tends to present a single response, potentially hiding other relevant information. This shift could significantly alter how people perceive authenticity, truth, and reality.
AI in Asia
Looking at AI in the broader Asian context, Nishant highlighted research findings that anxieties surrounding generative AI are similar across regions. He noted that "it's no longer about generative AI in Hong Kong or China or India or Germany; it is generative AI which is going to lead to localization of the technology. I think the anxieties that we have around generative AI are all the same, and they are spread globally”. As generative AI is one of the first truly global anxiety-inducing technologies, these shared concerns highlight the need to pay closer attention to its far-reaching implications.
Nishant noted that, traditionally, the West has driven technological innovation. Meanwhile, regions like Asia, South Africa, and Latin America have often been viewed merely as testing grounds or as sources of labor for these technologies. However, he believes this perspective may be shifting.
He emphasized that Asia, being a vast and diverse continent, cannot be seen as having a singular reaction or experience with digital technology. There are significant differences within the region, with varying contexts and forms of internet usage, and these should be viewed outside of a Euro-American framework.
"It might be good for us to start asking the questions, ‘where are those different kinds of labor practices?’, ‘where are the different kinds of development?’, ‘where are the different kinds of conversations around digital technologies happening?’,” suggested Nishant. This approach would provide a more accurate understanding of how technologies like AI are being perceived and utilized in Asian countries.
The prevalence of AI in business operations
Referencing a survey claiming that 85% of Hong Kong companies are embracing AI, Nishant acknowledged that while the report reflects a global trend toward AI integration and an increasing push for businesses to adopt AI, it overlooks the fact that AI has already been deeply embedded in business operations for years.
Nishant cautioned, "It would be false to think that there are people or companies who are not using AI. There is a possibility that most of them are being used by corporations that run AI, but we need to let go of the idea that AI is going to come in the future. It's already here and we are living with it. We're just realizing more and more how visible it has become." He explained that the main difference now is that more companies are investing in AI-driven products and intentionally automating their systems.
The role of young people
Urging young people in media and communications to recognize their power to shape the future of AI, Nishant asserted that they have the unique opportunity not just to use these technologies but to influence how they are built. He hopes they can advocate for a more just and inclusive approach to technological development and decision-making; their contributions can help ensure that future technology serves a broader range of needs and values.
Nishant reflected that “there is space to start thinking about not what AI does to us or what we do with it, but what kind of human beings we become when we start thinking about AI as our default technologies. The technologies that we use eventually are mirrors to ourselves, and they keep on asking us the questions, ‘who are you as a human being?’ and ‘what are the choices you are going to make when you use them?’"
Nishant Shah is a professor of global media and communications at the School of Journalism and Communication at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is also the director of a digital narrative studio that is based at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is a faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University in the United States, and generally introduces himself as a feminist, humanist, and technologist.
Nishant served as a faculty member in the Salzburg Academy on Media & Global Change in July 2024.
