The Language of Artificial Intelligence: Perspectives from Critical Discourse Analysis
The team
- Dr Matthew VoiceLink opens in a new window (Project Lead), Applied Linguistics
The project
A 1.5 day symposium showcasing world-leading research on the critical investigation and application of artificial intelligence in Critical Discourse Analysis research. The aim of the project was to bring together international scholarship on AI from a critical linguistic perspective to foster the development of ideas and methods to advance interdisciplinary critique, understanding, and use of these tools across a range of social and academic contexts.
Project outcomes
The symposium saw 12 papers delivered by speakers from 4 continents (Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa) attend Warwick in a hybrid format for one and a half days of intensive discussion. This was a highly productive event, with networking and research presentations opportunities culminating in our 2-hour roundtable discussion at the end of the symposium, which allowed for more in-depth reflection than most conferences.
There were 31 total attendees, comprising:
2x organisers from Applied Linguistics (Lead + PGR student assistant)
1x external co-organiser (Prof Hart, Lancaster)
19x external symposium speakers
9x non-presenting symposium attendees
We are now in the process of delivering our final output from the symposium in the form of an edited collection of our papers. Along with co-organiser Prof Chris Hart and I have submitted a proposal for this to Routledge’s Critical Discourse Studies series, and our participants will submit completed written versions of their papers to us in September, with a view to having this book published in early-mid 2027. This will be the first book-length collection of essays to interrogate the role and nature of AI from a critical linguistic perspective, and we are grateful to have had the opportunity to develop our ideas through in-person discussion.
Outputs:
- Symposium Presentation for Project Lead: ‘Multimodal AI Content and the Far Right: Style, Ideology, and Engagement’
- Forthcoming edited collection: Voice & Hart (2027) The Language of Artificial Intelligence
- Development of new PhD research project in Applied Linguistics at Warwick, subject to scholarship
Enhancing interdisciplinarity
In addition to the interdisciplinary discussions and presentations from the event (with scholars from linguistics, education studies, social psychology, and medical communications all present), the networking opportunities have allowed for the development of a close interdisciplinary network between participants. As we remain in contact for the editorial duration of the collection’s publication, this is already developing into a valuable network. For example, one participant has since approached me to act as primary supervisor for her proposed PhD arising from this meeting, and we are awaiting the results of her scholarship application to Warwick.