The mechanical reproduction of symbolic violence: AI as a cultural discourse
Article / Journal
Author(s) / editor(s):
Marinus Ossewaarde
Year: 2026
Language(s): English
Abstract:
The paper draws on Walter Benjamin’s idea of mechanical reproduction to argue that artificial intelligence, as a technology for mechanically reproducing cognition patterns, strips intelligence of its cultural and intellectual authenticity and is inherently politicized. It conceptualizes AI as a cultural discourse produced largely in the West (especially the EU) that constructs reality and exercises power. Using Bourdieu’s notion of symbolic violence, the author contends that AI imposes arbitrary, Eurocentric meanings, conceals unjust power relations underlying its development, and thereby reinforces geopolitical and cultural domination. The paper’s aim is to identify and analyze these patterns of symbolic violence in AI.
https://doi.org/10.1080/17447143.2026.2635229
Post created by: Virginia Signorini