Artificial Intelligence in Media and Communication: Analytical Perspectives on Digital Empowerment and Algorithmic Domination

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17721/CIMC.2026.39.60-70

Keywords:

artificial intelligence, digital empowerment, algorithmic domination, filter bubble, algorithmic governance, symbolic capital, datafication, digital inequality

Abstract

The study aims to examine the dual dynamic of artificial intelligence (AI) in media and communication, exploring how AI simultaneously fosters digital empowerment–enhancing access to information, participation, and productivity–and facilitates algorithmic domination, where decision-making, social interactions, and economic opportunities are increasingly governed by opaque computational systems. Research Method The research employs a theoretical and analytical approach, situating AI within a framework that integrates concepts of filter bubbles, algorithmic governance, symbolic capital, and datafication. It synthesizes findings from empirical studies, policy reports, and critical scholarship to analyze AI’s effects on autonomy, inequality, and digital power distribution. Results. The analysis highlights mechanisms through which algorithms reinforce social and informational inequalities, limit user autonomy, and concentrate digital power among dominant actors in media and communication spaces. Conclusion. The study concludes by proposing strategies to mitigate algorithmic domination and enhance digital empowerment, emphasizing the importance of transparency, algorithmic literacy, ethical design, and participatory governance in digital media ecosystems.  Besides, it underscores the need for empirical and interdisciplinary research to develop context-aware frameworks for understanding AI’s long-term impact on media.

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Published

30-03-2026

How to Cite

Khelalfa, Z. (2026). Artificial Intelligence in Media and Communication: Analytical Perspectives on Digital Empowerment and Algorithmic Domination. Current Issues of Mass Communication, 39, 60-70. https://doi.org/10.17721/CIMC.2026.39.60-70