Great Expectations: Network Media Logic and Politics in the Age of Generative AI

This chapter examines generative artificial intelligence as an emerging force in political communication and situates it within the broader framework of network media logic. Publicly accessible applications that convert textual prompts into written and visual content have lowered barriers to production and introduced new strategic possibilities for political actors, including the inexpensive creation of campaign material and visual communication. Prevailing debates frequently oscillate between exaggerated expectations and alarmist scenarios, often portraying artificial intelligence as an autonomous and all-powerful force. This chapter moves beyond such dichotomous narratives by offering a theoretically grounded and empirically informed analysis of how generative artificial intelligence is produced, circulated, and interpreted in networked media environments. It traces the economic and infrastructural conditions behind these technologies, examines how content spreads through social platforms, and explores how citizens encounter and evaluate artificially generated political information. By updating the concept of network media logic for the current technological moment, the chapter provides readers with analytical tools to better understand the implications of generative artificial intelligence for political communication, democratic processes, and media power in contemporary societies.