New Special Issue published: Science Communication in the Age of AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) — and especially generative AI tools — are fundamentally reshaping science communication: new technologies influence how scientific knowledge is produced, communicated, and received by diverse publics.
The new Special Issue of JCOM – Journal of Science Communication edited by Sabrina H. Kessler, Daniela Mahl, Mike S. Schäfer, and Sophia C. Volk brings together cutting-edge research on the intersection of AI and science communication.
The Special Issue emerged from contributions presented at the international conference #AISCICOMM24. It includes 10 original research articles, a comprehensive review, and an editorial that outlines key developments, challenges, and future directions for research and practice.
The contributions to the Special Issue explore the role of AI in science communication along four central dimensions:
1. Communication about AI: Contributions examine media discourses, visual portrayals of AI, and stakeholder narratives across different countries.
2. Communication with AI: Studies investigate the adoption of generative AI in university communication, the perspectives of science journalists, and how audiences use tools like ChatGPT for science-related information.
3. AI’s impact on science communication ecosystems: Research highlights how creators adapt science communication on platforms.
4. AI’s influence on science & methods: Contributions discuss the potential (and limitations) of using AI tools in research methods — for example, in content analysis — and outline key conceptual and methodological gaps.
Our own contributions:
- Editorial: An overview of how GenAI is reshaping science communication—its promises, risks, and future directions, which is available here.
- Essay: “All Eyez on AI”: A literature review + roadmap for future research on AI in science communication, which is available here.
The complete Special Issue can be foundhere.