Making Generative AI into a Public Problem

The Center for Journalism, Media and Democracy will host USC Associate Professor Mike Annany to explore how generative AI is often discussed as a vague, abstract concept rather than a set of concrete systems with real-world consequences. Drawing on his research in media, technology, and public life, Ananny examines how this framing shapes public understanding, limits accountability, and influences how societies respond to emerging technologies. The talk invites audiences to think more critically about what generative AI is, how it operates, and why treating it as a public problem is essential for addressing its broader social and political impacts.