Seeing AI – a series of research and public engagement events

Understanding the impact of AI on social, cultural and political life has been at the heart of our new initiative – the AI Literacy working group. “AI literacy” (or even “literacies”), as developed by DISC members, extends far beyond the technical understanding of how artificial intelligence and associated technologies work, and focuses instead on a critical evaluation of AI processes and outputs, a recognition of its biases, and an analysis of its benefits and challenges. During the 2024-25 academic year, DISC members have worked tirelessly to prepare a cluster of exciting and timely initiatives, which bring together research, postgraduate support, and public engagement, and promote and showcase our expertise and achievements. We call this cluster “Seeing AI”. Please come and see it with us!

Our AI Literacies public launch, organised by Adi Kuntsman and Dan Joseph, celebrates the work of AI Literacy members, in dialogue with invited speakers from academia, the industry and the creative sector. The launch also features a keynote by Mark Carrigan from the University of Manchester, the author of Generative AI for Academics.  In the meantime, behind the scene, we are also working on our AI Literacies Lab, developing ideas and toolkits for knowledge exchange, activities and collaborations – watch our website for more updates in the autumn!

Our Digital Politics Summer School 2025: Visual AI politics/politics of visual AI, led by Adi Kuntsman and Jessica Elias, takes a closer look at the use of visual generative AI in political contexts. Featuring a keynote, a masterclass, an international roundtable and networking activities, the summer school brings together established scholars, early career researchers and PhD students. Together, we will learn about, discuss, and experiment with visual generative AI, combining insights from media and communication studies, politics, visual criminology, AI art, and computational science.

Finally, we are proud to introduce our first major public engagement project, “Ahead of the AI’s misinformation curve: let’s talk visual AI literacy” which is part of AHEAD – the Arts and Humanities engagement and dialogue programme. The project addresses the recent advancements in visual generative AI which allow anyone to create highly realistic deepfakes, leading to misinformation and personal and social harms, and cementing stereotypes and representational biases. Led by Adi Kuntsman and Jessica Elias, in collaboration with AI Artist and researcher, Dr Sam Martin, the project explores these issues in dialogue with national and international experts in digital literacy, misinformation and technological challenges, and shares AI literacy tools with local communities across Manchester and nationally.

The full calendar of activities is below – some events take place on campus, whereas others are online. Please check our Events page for details and registration. We hope to see you there!

• 30 May “Ahead of the AI misinformation curve: let’s talk visual AI literacy” public panel , online
• 9 June AI Literacies lab: internal event for the DISC AI Literacies working group, developing public engagement materials
• 13 June AI Literacies launch: DISC public event , Brooks building, Birley campus
• 24 June Digital Politics Summer School opening keynote by Liv Hausken, online
• 25 June Digital Politics Summer School launch of visual AI literacy tool , online
• 26 June Digital Politics Summer School visual AI for academics, masterclass with Sam Martin , online
• 27 June Digital Politics  Summer School roundtable on the politics of visual AI , online
• 27 June Digital Politics  Summer School international networking session, online 
• AI Literacy community workshop with Manchester Cathedral, TBC.