As we approach the 2024 convention of the New York State Communication Association, we are excited to introduce the theme “Generative communicAItion.” Set against the vibrant backdrop of New York, a hub for innovation and forward-thinking, this theme invites us to examine the ever-expanding frontier of artificial intelligence (AI) in the world of human communication. The theme beckons us to delve deep into the heart of how AI not only integrates but also influences, and sometimes even instigates, our ways of communicating.

With the beautiful fall setting of the Catskills in October as our backdrop, I invite scholars, academic professionals, graduate students, and undergraduate students alike to ponder and present on the following thought-provoking questions:

• Is AI redrawing the boundaries of traditional communication theories and practices?
• What ethical challenges and responsibilities do communicators face in an AI-driven landscape?
• How can we educate the next generation of communication professionals to be AI-savvy and ethically grounded?
• What are the potential cultural implications of AI-generated narratives, especially in a state as diverse as New York?
• How might AI be used to amplify marginalized voices? Or is AI perpetuating and enhancing existing biases and stereotypes—further marginalizing cultural groups in our world?
• How are AI algorithms influencing our understanding of interpersonal, group, and organizational dynamics?
• In what ways are digital media platforms being transformed by AI’s generative capabilities, and what does this mean for the future of media studies?
• What are the benefits and pitfalls of AI in human communication across a range of different contexts?

The 2024 NYSCA convention will also introduce an “AI in Academia Forum.” The goal will be to share and showcase how people are using AI in their daily lives, classrooms, and research practices.

Together, with the NYSCA’s dedicated committee, leadership, and our passionate community of scholars and students, we look forward to pioneering conversations and groundbreaking insights. Let’s converge in New York to chart the communicative contours of a world intertwined with AI.

Work related to the conference theme is encouraged, along with a range of communication topics from a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches.

Keynote Speakers

David J. Gunkel (PhD Philosophy) is an award-winning educator, researcher, and author, specializing in the philosophy of technology with a focus on the moral and legal challenges of artificial intelligence and robots. He is the author of over 90 scholarly articles and has published thirteen books, including Thinking Otherwise: Philosophy, Communication, Technology (Purdue University Press 2007), The Machine Question: Critical Perspectives on AI, Robots, and Ethics (MIT Press 2012), Of Remixology: Ethics and Aesthetics After Remix (MIT Press 2016), Robot Rights (MIT Press 2018), An Introduction to Communication and Artificial Intelligence (Polity, 2020), and Person, Thing, Robot: A Moral and Legal Ontology for the 21st Century and Beyond (MIT Press 2023). He currently holds the position of Presidential Research, Scholarship and Artistry Professor in the Department of Communication at Northern Illinois University (USA) and professor of applied ethics at Łazarski University in Warsaw, Poland.

Stephen J. McConnell, Ph.D., is an award-winning writer and media scholar whose research focuses on the intersections of artificial intelligence, digital communication platforms, and human behavior. A key area of his studies involves examining human interactions with AI technologies, from social media feeds to ChatGPT, to assess how we can flourish during exchanges with these powerful tools so we enhance our agency, productivity, and well-being. Informed by this work, he co-developed a new certificate program and course for New York University, Communications & AI, which launched in Spring 2024. Previously, he was an investigative newspaper reporter and founder of a digital marketing company, Guiding Type. His work can be found at sjmcconnell.com.

Submission Guidelines

Completed paper submissions should be no more than 25 double-spaced pages (not inclusive of title and bibliography pages) and should not include any identifying information. The author, affiliation, and contact information should be provided separately in the body of the submission email. Papers should include a running head with an abbreviated title. Any standard style is permitted. Completed paper submissions from undergraduate and graduate students will be considered for student paper awards. Student submissions should indicate “undergraduate” or “graduate,” along with an abbreviated title in the running head.

For all other presentation formats, including panel proposals, posters (students only), roundtables, fishbowls, and other innovative programs, please include the title, the lead contact or panel chair, the participants/authors, affiliations, contact information, and a description of the panel, poster, roundtable, etc. For each paper in a panel or roundtable proposal, please include a title, a list of authors, and abstracts of no more than 125 words for each presenter.

Statement of Professional Responsibility

A statement of professional responsibility should be included on the first page of all paper/panel/roundtable submissions, or in the email accompanying video/audio files, and should state the following: “In submitting the attached paper/panel proposal, poster or roundtable, I/we agree to present at the 2024 NYSCA conference if it is accepted. I/we further recognize that all who attend and present at NYSCA’s annual meeting must register and pay the required fees.”

Contact Information

Direct inquiries and email submissions to Jason Wrench, Professor, Department of Communication, SUNY New Paltz, at NYSCA2024@newpaltz.edu.

Deadline

All submissions and proposals are due no later than midnight EST on Friday, June 14, 2024.

Conference Dates

October 18-20 at the Villa Roma in Callicoon, NY

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