Rethinking Communication in the Era of Artificial Intelligence: an HCR Special Issue

This invited essay discusses a recent special issue published by the journal Human Communication Research entitled “Rethinking Communication in the Era of Artificial Intelligence.” Articles in the special issue explore how: (a) artificial intelligence (AI) may be altering basic communication processes, (b) communication theories can help us understand and explain AI's potential impacts, and (c) research can explore how AI can help promote the public interest. These issues are explored in varied contexts (e.g., close relationships, workplaces, media, and politics) using quantitative, computational, and qualitative methods. My essay highlights the special issue's purpose, describes the peer review process that led to six articles plus the opening essay by guest editors S. Shyam Sunder and Eun-Ju Lee, features an exemplar article that explores how social bots helped amplify partisan news coverage in the Unites States during the COVID-19 pandemic, and calls for communication scholars to publish additional research on these topics in outlets such as Emerging Media.