Media Theorists McLuhan and Debord Offer Frameworks for Understanding AI's Societal Impact
Two influential media theorists from the 1960s, Marshall McLuhan and Guy Debord, are being revisited to help understand the trajectory and societal impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI). McLuhan's concept that 'the medium is the message' suggests that new technologies initially mimic old forms before developing unique content. Similarly, early AI applications are often used to replicate existing content, such as writing essays or generating songs. Debord's 'Society of the Spectacle' posited that capitalist societies proliferate media technologies that commodify human experiences and attention. Both theorists offer frameworks to analyze how AI, as a new medium, is reshaping communication, human interaction, and the economy, particularly through its potential to mediate and monetize aspects of life previously outside economic control. 
