Communication and Change

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国际英文学术期刊 Communication and Change (简称C&C, 中文名《传播与变革》）正式上线接受投稿。该刊由复旦大学新闻学院主办，Springer Nature出版。期刊采用同行匿名评审制度。

传播技术的飞速发展，尤其是大数据和人工智能的崛起，已经深刻地改变了我们的生活，同时也为新闻传播学研究带来了前所未有的机遇和挑战。在此背景下，C&C 旨在引领新闻传播研究的新方向，聚焦媒介的发展、社会的变化，以及媒介与社会变化之间的相互形塑。通过发表高质量的前沿研究，C&C 致力于推动新闻传播领域的学术进步，促进跨学科、跨文化对话，并为推动相关政策的发展做出贡献。

期刊发表的文章类型以基于理论创新的实证研究(research article)为主，也接受综述性论文(review article)。期刊鼓励跨学科视野，热忱欢迎国内外新闻传播学及相关领域学者投稿或参与组织专辑（special issue）。具体参见下方的“征稿启事”。

期刊由美国波士顿大学教授、ICA Fellow James E. Katz、复旦大学新闻学院教授、副院长周葆华担任联合主编，复旦大学新闻学院教授郭蕾、姚建华担任副主编。

首届国际编委会由来自中国、美国、英国、韩国、新加波、德国、澳大利亚、智利等多个国家和地区的20余名新闻传播学专家组成。

期刊的征稿主题包括但不限于：

Communication and Change 采用开放获取（OA）的在线出版模式。论文一经发表，即在SpringerLink平台上线，供全球读者免费全文下载，扩展作者学术成果的知名度和曝光度。

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Communication and Change (C&C) 

AI专辑征集论文

Call for Papers

Beyond Artificial: Exploring the Socio-Emotional Landscape of AI

Dazzling – and daunting – are the possibilities in a future where love, friendship, and even our sense of self might be redefined by the machines we create. Even today, conversational agents and digital personal assistants are increasingly participating in daily lives throughout technologically advanced societies. And as enthusiastically as they are being embraced currently, the future for these agents seems destined to mushroom. In one estimate, by Statista.com, the market for AI companion technologies is projected to grow to $2 billion by the year 2030. Even if optimistic, such figures point toward a transformative shift in human-machine interaction with as yet uncharted implications.

These agents are poised to become pivotal actors within the dynamics of human relationships, reshaping not only traditional bonds like marriage and friendship but also becoming springboards for new ways of living, socializing, and perceiving one’s place in the world. Various stages of life, with adolescence as an example, might take on entirely new forms in the presence of AI companions and through their capabilities. The increasing sophistication of AI companions, capable of simulating empathy, understanding, and emotional connection, raises profound questions about the nature of intimacy, authenticity, and the boundaries between the human and the artificial.

This transformative potential of these communication systems necessitates a critical examination of the social factors, norms, and principles that will underpin how these technologies are used. Designers themselves must grapple with ethical considerations, and thought must be given to how such dimensions can be factored into the design process. As an area increasingly part of public concern, governmental bodies are aggressively seeking to craft policies and regulations that guide – and limit –  conversational companions’ activities. Design and regulatory forces, along with user demand, will provide a complex environment within which conversational companions will evolve. As a result of these forces, a host of social scientific and philosophical questions are raised. It is the purpose of our workshop to examine them. These questions include (but are not limited to):

Redefining connection in the digital age:

How will AI companions influence intimacy, friendship, and love? Will interpersonal communication patterns change, and to what effect? How will AI companions shape the development of social skills and emotional intelligence in children and adolescents?

Phenomenology:

Will the experience of living be transformed by conversational agents? Will humans see their lives through a different perspective? Will important developmental stages be changed and with what impact? Will forms of social organization, such as peer-groups and identitarian-groups wither while new ones emerge? How will AI companions impact our perception of self and identity?

Ethics of artificial affection:

Can machines generate genuine emotional bonds? What are the potential risks of manipulation and dependence? What mechanism should be in place to monitor and control conversational agents? How can we ensure the ethical development and use of AI companions, particularly in vulnerable populations?

Security and privacy of AI agent interactions:

Given the rise of disinformation and ransomware, is there a way to prepare for and mitigate these kinds of threats? Can these concerns interfere with the adoption of AI conversational agents?

Conversational AI in action - Case studies and real-world impact: 

How have the applications of AI companions been deployed in healthcare, education, entertainment, and with what effect? What are the cultural variations in the acceptance and use of AI companions? Will there be effects on employment and workplace practices?

Designing for empathy and understanding: 

How can AI companions be crafted in ways that foster genuine connection and emotional intelligence? How closely do they need to emulate a human to be effective? How can we design AI companions that are inclusive and accessible to diverse populations?

AI and social skills: 

Analyzing the impact of AI companions on the development and maintenance of social skills. Can AI companions teach us to be more empathetic and understanding? How might AI companions affect our ability to communicate and interact with other humans? Are there potential negative consequences of relying on AI companions for social interaction?

Friend or tool? The value spectrum of AI companionship: 

Will AI enhance or devalue human connections? Can these relationships exist on a spectrum of utility and emotional depth? What are the economic implications of the growing AI companion market?

AI companions and cultural variation: 

Exploring the cultural differences in the acceptance and use of AI companions. How do cultural values and norms shape attitudes toward AI companions? Are there cultural differences in the types of relationships people form with AI companions? How can we design AI companions that are culturally sensitive and respectful? 

AI companions and social inequality: 

Investigating the potential for AI companions to exacerbate or mitigate social inequalities and inter-group conflict. How might AI companions affect access to resources, opportunities, and social support, and how might this vary due to economic conditions? Could AI companions create biases and discrimination? How can we ensure that the benefits and risks of AI companionship are equitably distributed?

Mapping the moral maze: 

Can empirical social science create ways to navigate ethical dilemmas arising from AI companions? Can social issues, ranging from privacy concerns to discrimination and bias, be modeled and addressed? How can we mitigate the potential negative impacts of AI companions on employment and social inequality?

Psychological dance - Adapting to AI companionship: 

What are the potential effects on mental health, identity formation, and social dynamics? How will AI companions affect our understanding of consciousness and sentience?

Individual differences & digital divides: 

What can we expect in terms of addressing perennial problems such as inherent bias, and group differentials in terms of access and civic engagement? How can we ensure that the benefits of AI companionship are equitably distributed?

This special issue welcomes scholarly contributions that explore from various perspectives the multifaceted consequences of conversational agents on human interaction and individual experience. In that spirit, papers on topics beyond those listed above will be considered.

Embracing a global outlook, Communication and Change seeks contributions that transcend national boundaries and foster a cross-cultural dialogue on these vital issues. Case studies from varied contexts are highly encouraged as are empirically based perspectives. The special issue will provide a base for scholars to explore the broader societal and policy implications of AI conversational agents with clarity and depth.

Information on submission and publication

Authors are invited to submit full papers until March 1st, 2025 through the C&C online submission site. Please indicate the work is being submitted for consideration for the special issue on “Beyond Artificial: Exploring the Socio-Emotional Landscape of AI” in the cover letter. Manuscripts should strictly follow the C&C submission guidelines.

The anticipated date for notifications is currently set for June 1st, 2025. The special issue is expected in the Fall of 2025.

Communication and Change (C&C)专辑计划征集

Call for Special-Issue Proposals

Beyond Artificial: Exploring the 

Socio-Emotional Landscape of AI

Communication and Change (C&C) is inviting proposals for special issues aligned with the journal’s focus on advancing the understanding of communication in the context of rapid technological and societal transformation. 

Special issues on a focused topic within the scope of C&C are an important part of the journal. Topics of forthcoming special issues include “Communication Research in the Age of AI” and “Beyond Artificial: Exploring the Socio-Emotional Landscape of AI.” 

As special-issue editors, you will manage the selection and review process in close collaboration with the editors-in-chief, ensuring full adherence to C&C’s review and publishing standards. Special-issue editors will be responsible for writing a 2,000 to 3,000-word editorial for their respective issue. Each special issue should feature 5 to 8 articles.

Submitting your proposal

Please submit a 2-3 page proposal outlining the rationale for the special issue, the proposed timeline, and the guest editors’ availability and expertise to ensure a high-quality and timely editorial process. The proposal should address the significance of the topic, its relevance to the journal’s aim and scope, the expected theoretical and methodological contributions, and the diversity of submissions. In addition, please include CVs for all guest editors.  All manuscripts will undergo the standard peer-review process, supervised by the guest editors.

Submissions should be emailed in one PDF file to cac@fudan.edu.cn by March 1st, 2025.  Please include “Proposal for Special Issue” in the subject line.

If you have any questions, please direct your inquiries to: cac@fudan.edu.cn

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