FMST 071. Synthetic Media

AI tools for the generation of text, imagery, sound, and other media have disrupted the technological, cultural, and pedagogical landscape while raising pressing questions about knowledge, representation, creativity, and the relationship between humanity and technology. This class explores AI media in their own right as well as their impact on “legacy” media forms and practices. Along with attention to AI’s aesthetics and formal possibilities, we will consider its harms, including environmental impact, the spread of misinformation and surveillance, and AI’s contribution to inequalities in global media labor. Coursework includes projects using AI tools and research into the histories of computation and automation in media.
Humanities.
1 credit.
Fall 2025. Rehak.
Catalog chapter: Film and Media Studies
Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/film-media-studies

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