Algorithms, Social Media and the Public Sphere: Disinformation, Identities and Political Communication

Algorithms, Social Media and the Public Sphere: Disinformation, Identities and Political Communication

Guest Editors

Dra. Leticia Rodríguez Fernández, University of Cádiz Dr. Serafín Barros Garbín, Complutense University of Madrid Dr. María García de Blanes Sebastián, Rey Juan Carlos University

The expansion of artificial intelligence within contemporary digital ecosystems is profoundly transforming the conditions under which images are produced, circulated and received. Over recent decades, visual culture has developed in close connection with the technological infrastructures that mediate the creation and dissemination of content. However, the large-scale incorporation of machine learning systems, generative models and visual classification algorithms has introduced a qualitative shift in this process: images are no longer produced solely by human actors or cultural institutions, but also by automated systems capable of generating, recombining and selecting visual representations from vast volumes of data.

In this new context, artificial intelligence operates simultaneously as a tool, an infrastructure and a cultural agent. Generative systems—particularly those based on deep neural networks—have expanded the possibilities of visual creation while simultaneously reshaping traditional frameworks of authorship, creativity and intellectual property. The production of images through textual prompts, the automation of

creative processes and the widespread circulation of algorithmically generated images raise fundamental questions regarding the status of the image in contemporary digital culture.

The emergence of what several scholars have termed algorithmic aesthetics constitutes one of the most significant developments in this transformation. This concept refers both to the visual forms produced by automated systems and to the criteria of selection, classification and visibility that algorithms impose across digital platforms, social media environments and recommendation systems. In this context, images are not only generated through artificial intelligence but also circulate and acquire relevance within environments governed by algorithmic logics that shape attention, visibility and cultural interpretation.

This scenario also raises important ethical, political and regulatory challenges. The use of large training datasets, the opacity of algorithmic systems and the reproduction of cultural biases in images generated by artificial intelligence have opened debates around visual inequality, social representation and technological accountability. At the same time, the proliferation of synthetic images and the increasing indistinction between human-generated and machine-generated imagery compel us to reconsider traditional categories of authenticity, veracity and authorship.

Simultaneously, artificial intelligence is giving rise to new forms of artistic experimentation, hybrid cultural practices and immersive visual experiences that expand the boundaries of digital art, museography, cultural heritage and audiovisual storytelling. From the visual reconstruction of the past through generative models to the development of phygital environments and immersive museum experiences, contemporary visual culture is undergoing a transformation in which technological innovation, creative practices and regulatory debates converge.

Within this context, the present special issue aims to explore the multiple dimensions that shape the relationship between artificial intelligence and visual culture. Its objective is to provide a space for critical reflection that enables scholars to analyse how algorithmic technologies are redefining the forms of visual creation, the processes through which images circulate and the governance frameworks that regulate their production and use.

The contributions gathered in this issue address these questions from a variety of theoretical and methodological perspectives, including visual culture studies, digital communication, media studies, contemporary aesthetics and the ethics of artificial intelligence. Through these approaches, the special issue seeks to contribute to a broader understanding of the tensions and opportunities emerging around algorithmic aesthetics, visual creativity and the governance of images in the age of artificial intelligence.

Ultimately, this special issue invites readers to reconsider the role of the image in a visual culture increasingly mediated by automated systems, and to reflect on the new forms of agency, creativity and responsibility that arise at the intersection of humans, algorithms and data.

 

Proposed Topics

1. Visual disinformation and digital propaganda

· Deepfakes and political memes

· Visual disinformation on social media

· Artificial intelligence and information manipulation

· Automated fact-checking

2. Algorithmic political communication

· Artificial intelligence in electoral campaigns

· Digital activism and political mobilisation

· Political narratives on social media

· Digital image construction of political leaders

3. Influencers, platforms and the attention economy

· Influencers and digital visual culture

· Algorithms and content virality

· Streaming platforms and the reconfiguration of the spectator

4. Digital identity and subjectivity

· Avatars and virtual identities

· Gender representation on social media

· Youth and childhood digital identities

5. Participatory culture and digital narratives

· TikTok and emerging narrative forms

· Digital memetics

· Transmedia storytelling

6. Corporate communication and platform branding

· Algorithmic advertising

· Visual communication strategies on social media

· Artificial intelligence in digital marketing

 

Submission deadline: 1 July 2026