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Overview
I am thrilled to share that I have recently passed my Research Proposal Review, marking a significant milestone in my first year of PhD studies. This blog post is intended to detail my presentation, introduce my ongoing research, and outline the current stage of the research process.
During the presentation, we delved into intriguing philosophical questions surrounding the nature of nonhuman personhood and agency in our digital era. This is especially pertinent as we find ourselves on the precipice of another AI revolution. Join me on this intellectual journey to uncover what constitutes a nonhuman online persona and comprehend why investigating this concept is pivotal for understanding the future trajectory of social media communication.
For those interested in delving deeper, a copy of my accompanying report is available upon request. Simply use the button below to email me. Additionally, a PDF version of my presentation slides is also accessible through the buttons below.
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Project Abstract
At the heart of my thesis lie probing questions: Can an animal be an influencer? Is it possible for a video game character to maintain an online presence outside the game? Does an AI tool like Midjourney have the capacity to possess a persona? These inquiries shift the concept of persona from being solely a performance of inner consciousness to an online assemblage – a composite of digital artefacts disseminated across various platforms.
This research pivots around the notion that persona is a continuous negotiation between the individual and the collective, encompassing both human and nonhuman actors. Focusing on the period from 2023 to 2025, my study aims to ascertain whether nonhuman entities can truly establish online personas.
I propose a comprehensive definition of ‘nonhuman online persona’ and introduce an innovative research methodology, amalgamating netnography, comparative case study analysis, and textual analysis. Concentrating on the collective dimension of online personas, a perspective often neglected in persona scholarship, this thesis contributes significantly to academia by employing a unique theoretical framework. This framework amalgamates persona studies, fan studies, assemblage theory, and Actor Network Theory, applying them to diverse case studies including pet influencers, video game characters, and AI software like Midjourney.
These case studies reveal the intricate construction of nonhuman persona assemblages through online networks, involving an intricate interplay between human and nonhuman actors. Consequently, this research lays the groundwork for future exploration into nonhuman online personas, presenting novel philosophical questions and pioneering research methods in light of the ongoing advancements in machine learning and generative AI technologies.