To Bit or Not to Bit? Unveiling the Visual Discourse of AI: Exploring Cartoons in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Shaimaa Mohamed Hela

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology prevalence has led to our time being referred to as ‘the age of AI.’ As a contemporary societal issue, AI technology draws the attention of caricaturists who use their art to visually communicate various messages about it. This study explores how AI technology is visually represented in a collection of editorial cartoons published on the international online platform, Cartoon Movement with an especial focus on its effects related to literature, books, theory of mind, and arts. The research aims to identify the visual communicative functions employed by caricaturists to depict AI- themes. To achieve this, a multimodal discourse analysis approach is used. Eight caricatures, published between 2018 and 2024, were specifically selected for semiotic analysis. Using Kress and Van Leeuwen’s (2006) framework of visual social semiotics, the study examines the representational, interactive, and compositional meanings in the selected cartoons. The study is significant for its insights into how AI is visually depicted in relation to literature, arts, books ,theory of minds and its potential societal implications. The analysis shows a predominantly skeptical or cautionary stance toward AI in the realm of human cognition and creativity. The results emphasize the need for ongoing ethical as well as philosophical reflection as AI continues to integrate into various aspects of human life.