Department of Communication Studies

Holds the Third Frontier Lecture for 2025 Freshmen

On October 10, 2025, the thematic lecture "Why Study Communication in the AI Era" was held in Classroom 108, East Campus, delivered by Associate Professor Wang Tian from the Department of Communication Studies.

Professor Wang began with the Text-to-Image technology of Generative AI, drawing on her recent paper titled "What AI Knows About Breast Cancer" published in the SSCI-indexed journal Social Semiotics. She revealed the social biases and communication ethics dilemmas embedded in AI image generation.

"When AI can easily mimic human creativity, communication professionals must hold fast to the baseline of originality". Professor Wang argued that communication scholars must act as "gatekeepers" of technology ethics, "When AI reduces breast cancer to pink ribbons and sexualized models, it erases the complexity of the disease". She further pointed out that AI biases stem not only from training data replicating past advertising cultures, but also from more complex socio-cultural factors. Therefore, AI technology must be ensured to pursue innovative value while minimizing risks such as bias, privacy leaks, and security threats. It must also operate in alignment with the ethical norms, legal frameworks, and public interests of human society.

The lecture concluded with an interactive session on "Fairness-Themed AI Image Generation Practice". Professor Wang encouraged students to read literature extensively, maintain robust curiosity, engage in exploratory research, and actively communicate professional insights to the public.

Chaired by Professor Li Bing, Head of the Department of Communication Studies, the lecture saw active participation from many students. As the third session in the Frontier Lecture Series for the Class of 2025 Top-Talent Program, the lecture not only demonstrated the value of Journalism and Communication Studies in the AI era but also, by coinciding with October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, effectively bridged classroom theory with real-world issues.