New Forms of (Mis) communication and Artificial Intelligence: Exploring Alienation, Empowerment and Accessibility

The rapid advancement of Large Language Models (LLMs) has revolutionized Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly in Natural Language Processing and generation. This technological leap has profound implications for human-machine interaction and communication at large. This study examines the impact of Artificial Intelligence on communication, exploring its potential for empowerment and accessibility alongside risks of alienation, while also investigating how AI representations in popular culture influence public perceptions. The research combines theoretical analysis with an exploratory study of social media discourse. Sentiment analysis and topic modeling were applied to a dataset of Reddit posts and comments (n = 1739) mentioning AI published in the last year. Findings reveal a complex landscape of opinions, with a slight tendency towards positive sentiment but significant concerns about AI’s societal impact. The study identifies key themes in public discourse, including AI’s reasoning capabilities, human-AI comparisons, and practical applications. Results highlight the need for enhanced AI literacy, ethical guidelines, and inclusive design in AI development to address both opportunities and challenges in AI-mediated communication.