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Nataliia Laba @nataliialaba.com · 4d

How do we prevent AI companies from enabling uncredited mimicry of culture in AI-generated images? Some answers at
www.acume.org/r/beyond-mag.... Click ➕ for evidence and actionable steps.

Based on my 2024 study in New Media & Soc doi.org/10.1177/1461...
#criticalAI #generativeAI #noAIart

Screenshot of the article part where proposed action is described. It reads as follows: Proposed action
AI image generation platforms must implement clear transparency systems that automatically identify and credit the artistic styles or cultural works being replicated in generated outputs.

There should be more focus on the development of alternative prompting frameworks that encourage creative exploration rather than simple replication of the styles of the living artists.

Reposted by Nataliia Laba

T.J. Thomson @tjthomson.bsky.social · 4d

🔗 The open-access study can be read here: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

🙏 Thanks to @nataliialaba.com for inspiring this study and to she and @neous.bsky.social for organising a panel on visual style that we presented at #ADDA5 and that helped sharpen my arguments in this paper.

Computer-mediated representations: a qualitative examination of algorithmic vision and visual style - TJ Thomson, 2025

To the general public, text-to-image generators, such as Midjourney and DALL-E, seem to work through magic and, indeed, their inner workings are often frustrati...

journals.sagepub.com

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Reposted by Nataliia Laba

T.J. Thomson @tjthomson.bsky.social · 7d

What a delight it was to work with @danielpfurtscheller.at, @klobinger.bsky.social, @nataliialaba.com, & @kathchr.bsky.social on this newly published study: Visual literacies in transition: multimodal co-production with generative AI.

🔗 You can read our open access study here: lnkd.in/gZwZr83g

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Nataliia Laba @nataliialaba.com · 13d

When: October 2, at 8:00 AM GMT
Register: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... @tjthomson.bsky.social

Pre-register: VCSD Q&A on Zoom (Oct 2)

EARLY CAREER AND INTERNATIONAL SUBMISSIONS Q&A FOR #ICA26 Join the upcoming Q&A Zoom Event organized by the ICA Visual Communication Studies Division (VCSD) to know more about our call for abstracts ...

docs.google.com

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Nataliia Laba @nataliialaba.com · 13d

Early career and international submissions Q&A for #ICA26
@icahdq.bsky.social

Join the upcoming Q&A Zoom Event organized by the ICA Visual Communication Studies Division (VCSD) to know more about our call for abstracts and papers in response to the theme "Communication and Inequalities in Context"

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Nataliia Laba @nataliialaba.com · 14d

Thanks so much for reading and spreading the word.

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Nataliia Laba @nataliialaba.com · 15d

New study in Memory, Mind & Media: "Memory of the multitude and representation in AI-generated #images of #war;
#AI and #Memory special collection. doi.org/10.1017/mem....

#criticalAI @universitypress.cambridge.org

Memory of the multitude and representation in AI-generated
images of war

Abstract
This study addresses how AI-generated images of war are changing the making of memory. Instead of
asking how AI-generated images affect individual recall, we focus on how they communicate specific
representations, recognising that such portrayals can cultivate particular assumptions and beliefs.
Drawing on memory of the multitude, visual social semiotics, and cultivation/desensitisation theories,
we analyse how visual generative AI mediates the representation of the Russia-Ukraine war. Our
corpus includes 200 images of the Russia-Ukraine war generated from 23 prompts across proprietary
and open-source visual generative AI systems. The findings indicate that visual generative AI tends to
present a sanitised view of the war. Critical aspects, such as death, injury, and suffering of children and
refugees are often excluded. Furthermore, a disproportional focus on urban areas misrepresents the
full scope of the war. Visual generative AI, we argue, introduces a new dimension to memory making in
that it blends documentation with speculative fiction by synthesising the multitude embedded within
the visual memory of war archives, historical biases, representational limitations, and commercial risk
aversion. By foregrounding the socio-technical and discursive dimensions of synthetic war content,
this study contributes to an interdisciplinary dialogue on collective memory at the intersection of
visual communication studies, media studies, and memory studies by providing empirical insights into
how generative AI mediates the visual representation of war through human-archival-mechanistic
entanglements.
Keywords: visual generative AI; AI-generated images; memory of the multitude; war representation

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Nataliia Laba @nataliialaba.com · 15d

Our article in Memory, Mind & Media argues that that AI-generated images of the Russia-Ukraine war create an
unreliable ‘clean war’ narrative that systematically excludes human suffering and the
experiences of civilians, women, children, and the elderly.

Nataliia Laba @nataliialaba.com · Sep 3

Some of my thoughts on the politics of visual generative #AI documented in a beautiful graphic recording in the 2025 Digital Politics Summer School curated by the Digital Society research group at The Manchester Metropolitan University 😍 digitalsociety.mmu.ac.uk/2025/09/03/v...

Visual AI Politics//Politics of Visual AI Graphic Recording - Digital Society Research Cluster

As part of the 2025 Digital Politics Summer School, we held a roundtable discussion exploring Visual AI Politics//Politics of Visual AI. In case you missed it, you can watch the […]

digitalsociety.mmu.ac.uk

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Reposted by Nataliia Laba

Janina Wildfeuer @neous.bsky.social · Sep 1

Preparations are in full swing and we look forward to welcoming everyone in Groningen soon for #12ICOM:
12th International Conference on Multimodality
29-31 October 2025, House of Connections, Groningen
bit.ly/12ICOM
Watch our website for the full program to be online soon!

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Nataliia Laba @nataliialaba.com · May 22

I'm part of roundtable "𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐈 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬/𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐯𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗜" on 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟳, 𝟵:𝟬𝟬–𝟭𝟭:𝟯𝟬 𝗮𝐦 (𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞) – with Miriyam Aouragh, Roger Canals, Donatella Della Ratta, and Yoav Galai – hope to see you there! digitalsociety.mmu.ac.uk/event/visual...

Visual AI politics/politics of visual AI: a roundtable - Digital Society Research Cluster

Location: online This roundtable brings together experts on digital media, visual cultures and politics, misinformation, political violence, and generative AI. Curated by Adi Kuntsman and Jessica Elia...

digitalsociety.mmu.ac.uk

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Nataliia Laba @nataliialaba.com · May 22

The program and (free) registration for online 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 "𝗩𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗜 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 / 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗜", 𝟮𝟰-𝟮𝟳 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲, are available! digitalpoliticsmanmet.bloggi.co/visual-ai-po...

Visual AI politics/politics of visual AI: Digital Politics Summer School 2025

24-27 June, online Our Digital Politics Summer School is celebrating its fifth anniversary! This year, the school is focusing on visual generative AI. Details of speakers, call for workshop participat...

digitalpoliticsmanmet.bloggi.co

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Reposted by Nataliia Laba

Janina Wildfeuer @neous.bsky.social · May 7

Nataliia Laba @nataliialaba.com on text-to-image generators, the resulting artefacts and our interpretation.

Her food for thought:
Can human qualities really be translated to AI?
We should continue addressing how people's experiences shape their expectations towards AI.

Nataliia Laba on text-to-image generation

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Nataliia Laba @nataliialaba.com · Apr 30

To be considered, please send a 200 word description of your research and a short bio (no longer than 50 words) to [email protected] by 19th May 2025. Hope to see you there!

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Nataliia Laba @nataliialaba.com · Apr 30

CfP Digital Politics Summer School at Manchester Metropolitan University, 23-27 June (online). This year, the school is focusing on visual generative AI, and invites applications for participation in a networking and co-production session. More info: digitalpoliticsmanmet.bloggi.co/visual-ai-po...

Visual AI politics/politics of visual AI: Digital Politics Summer School 2025

23-27 June, online Our Digital Politics Summer School is celebrating its fifth anniversary! This year, the school is focusing on visual generative AI. Details of speakers, call for workshop participat...

digitalpoliticsmanmet.bloggi.co

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Reposted by Nataliia Laba

Rob Kitchin @robkitchin.bsky.social · Apr 30

New OA book. Seeing Like a Platform: An Inquiry into the Condition of Digital Modernity by Petter Törnberg and Justus Uitermark. www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-edi...

Seeing Like a Platform | An Inquiry into the Condition of Digital Mode

Power needs abstraction, to make the unwieldy complexity of the social world legible and manageable. The proposition at the heart of Seeing Like a Platform is

www.taylorfrancis.com

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Reposted by Nataliia Laba

Rafael Grohmann @grohmannrafael.bsky.social · Apr 10

Are you researching the role of AI for workers in the media, arts and culture sectors? Consider submitting an abstract to our special issue for AI & Society journal on the topic.

link.springer.com/collections/...

Cultural Workers and Generative AI

Since the unprecedented agreement that the Writers Guild of America (WGA) managed to negotiate in relation to the use of generative AI in the workplace in ...

link.springer.com

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Reposted by Nataliia Laba

Visual Communication journal @viscomjournal.bsky.social · Apr 3

Visual Communication, a leading journal published by SAGE, is now on BlueSky 🎉

To celebrate, here’s a look at some of our most-read articles from the past 6 months. Give us a follow and join our BlueSky community to connect with readers and visual communication scholars ✨

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Reposted by Nataliia Laba

Media, Communications & Cultural Studies, Goldsmiths @mediacomgold.bsky.social · Apr 1

NEW! MCCS are awarding a limited no of 100% fee waivers for 2025–26 for students who are the first in their family to attend university on these MAs:

• MA Cultural Studies

• MA Gender, Media and Culture

• MA Race, Media and Social Justice

Full details: www.gold.ac.uk/fees-funding...

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Reposted by Nataliia Laba

Janina Wildfeuer @neous.bsky.social · Apr 1

#12ICOM Update

🔴 You can now register for the conference and save your spot for the conference dinner.

🔴 A preliminary schedule is also available to plan your travel to and stay in Groningen: bit.ly/12ICOM

💥 I am so looking forward to this conference and everyone coming to Groningen! 💥

12ICOM Groningen

12th International Conference on Multimodality in Groningen

bit.ly

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Reposted by Nataliia Laba

Richard Ovenden @richove.bsky.social · Mar 25

Glad to occasionally write for that ‘not much of a magazine’, @theatlantic.com www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Putin’s War on Ukrainian Memory

As repositories of national culture and consciousness, the libraries and archives of Ukraine have become a target of Russian aggression.

www.theatlantic.com

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Reposted by Nataliia Laba

Timnit Gebru @timnitgebru.bsky.social · Mar 23

You can now register at www.eventbrite.com/e/dair-prese...

⏰Friday April 11 9am-12pm PDT | 12pm-3pm EDT | 6pm-9pm CEST | 7pm-10pm EAT

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Nataliia Laba @nataliialaba.com · Mar 21

Join us for an afternoon of lightning talks, a panel discussion of student experiences with #genAI, and hands-on activities on how to use multimodal generative AI critically and creatively.

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Nataliia Laba @nataliialaba.com · Mar 21

Registrations open for the workshop “Pixel vs. protocol: Negotiating the role of multimodal generative AI in study, work, and play” on May 7 (14:00-17:00) in Groningen, the Netherlands, organized by @neous.bsky.social and I ✨

Pixel vs. Protocol: Negotiating the Role of Multimodal Generative AI in Study, Work, and Play

How can we critically and creatively engage with generative AI across text, images, and videos? This workshop, part of the initiative by the Jantina Tammes...

www.rug.nl

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Reposted by Nataliia Laba

Timnit Gebru @timnitgebru.bsky.social · Mar 20

Tapping this sign again. By @emilymbender.bsky.social

buttondown.com/maiht3k/arch...

"As OpenAI and Meta introduce LLM-driven searchbots, I'd like to once again remind people that neither LLMs nor chatbots are good technology for information access."

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

lnkd.in

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