UNMASKING THE MACHINE

In this episode of Unmasking the Machine, the conversation turns to AI in the art industry, exploring how algorithms are reshaping music, film, and creative ownership. Through discussions of AI music tools like Suno and a landmark lawsuit between major studios and image-generating platforms, students unpack the tension between accessibility and exploitation. Is AI opening doors for new creators, or reinforcing existing inequalities in who gets paid and recognized? Drawing on sociological perspectives, the episode examines authorship, authenticity, and the enduring question of what makes art “human.” From copyright battles to AI-generated songs, this episode reveals how creativity, control, and cultural value are being renegotiated in the age of algorithms. 

Hosts: 

• Carey Faulkner, Associate Professor of Sociology

• Kelly Miller, Senior Instructional Designer

Panel: 

• Harrison Brown, Class of 2029

• Asad Syed, Class of 2027

• Lucy Anstett, Class of 2026

In this episode of Unmasking the Machine, students dive into the growing gap between what AI can actually do and what companies claim it can do. Through discussions of AI washing, layoffs driven by expectation rather than reality, and the powerful narratives shaping corporate decision-making, the conversation reveals how AI is as much a social force as a technological one. Drawing on sociological insights, the group explores how hype, legitimacy, and fear of falling behind are influencing everything from executive strategy to worker insecurity. The result is a nuanced look at how AI is being used not just as a tool, but as a story, one that is actively reshaping labor, power, and the future of work. 

Hosts: 

• Carey Faulkner, Associate Professor of Sociology

• Kelly Miller, Senior Instructional Designer

Panel: 

• Marina Nikolic, Class of 2028

• Carter Lawrence, Class of 2027

• Leo Wang, Class of 2029

• Amalie Kinney, Class of 2026

In this episode of Unmasking the Machine: A Sociological Look at AI, a student panel explores the growing role of artificial intelligence in the workplace and the debate over whether it will empower workers or replace them. Drawing on reporting from The New York Times and CBS News, the discussion contrasts an AI startup that claims its technology will support employees while other companies are increasingly citing AI and automation as reasons for cutting jobs. Through sociological concepts like technological determinism, division of labor, and social inequality, the panel examines how AI is reshaping work, shifting power inside organizations, and potentially widening gaps between workers who have access to technological skills and those who do not. The conversation also raises questions about surveillance, AI-driven hiring processes, and who ultimately controls the future of work in an AI-powered economy. 

Hosts: 

• Carey Faulkner, Associate Professor of Sociology

• Kelly Miller, Senior Instructional Designer

Panel: 

• Avery Gershwin, Class of 2028

• Claire Galper, Class of 2026

• Brody Kline, Class of 2028

In this episode of Unmasking the Machine: A Sociological Look at AI, a student panel explores the rapid AI boom and the myth that technology is neutral. Drawing on reporting from UC Santa Cruz and the BBC, the conversation examines competing narratives about artificial intelligence: one framing AI as something that can be responsibly shaped through research, governance, and interdisciplinary collaboration, and another portraying it as an economic revolution that will create winners, losers, and potential “carnage.” Through sociological concepts like the politics of technology, hidden labor, environmental costs, and the social construction of intelligence, the panel asks who benefits from AI, who is left out, and what power structures shape its development. As students on the verge of entering the workforce reflect on how AI is already changing education and careers, the episode considers a larger question: if AI feels inevitable, how can individuals and societies still shape its future? 

Hosts: 

• Carey Faulkner, Associate Professor of Sociology

• Kelly Miller, Senior Instructional Designer

Panel: 

• Ashanti Amastal, Class of 2028

• Nathalie Hernandez, Class of 2027

• Emily John, Class of 2028

In this episode of Unmasking the Machine: A Sociological Look at AI, a student panel examines the rise of AI companionship through reporting from The Washington Post and The New York Times, exploring chatbots marketed as cures for loneliness and “frictionless” partners who offer constant validation without conflict or rejection. The conversation unpacks the emotional pull of AI friends and romantic partners, the risks of dependency and isolation, concerns about youth development and explicit content, and the broader structures of platform capitalism that commodify intimacy. Drawing on sociological concepts like socialization, risk, and strategic amnesia, the panel asks what it means to fall in love with a business product, and whether AI relationships are soothing a loneliness epidemic or quietly deepening it. 

Content note: This episode includes discussion of suicide. 

Hosts: 

• Carey Faulkner, Associate Professor of Sociology

• Kelly Miller, Senior Instructional Designer

Panel: 

• Genevieve Snyder, Class of 2028

• Chiedozie Aniekwe, Class of 2026

• Jaylene Merino, Class of 2028

In this episode of Unmasking the Machine: A Sociological Look at AI, a student panel examines the rise of AI romance and human–chatbot relationships through Dimri’s (2026) “The People Who Marry Chatbots” and Apple’s (2025) “My Couples Retreat With 3 AI Chatbots and the Humans Who Love Them.” Drawing on sociological concepts of intimacy, loneliness, gender, and social norms, the discussion explores why some people form deep emotional (and even marital) bonds with artificial intelligence, and what these relationships reveal about the evolving meaning of love, partnership, and connection in a digital world. 

Hosts: 

• Carey Faulkner, Associate Professor of Sociology

• Kelly Miller, Senior Instructional Designer

Panel: 

• Audrey Zawoiski, Class of 2028

• Tonka Juras, Class of 2027

• Elizabeth Bai, Class of 2028

Can we "break free" from the devices that rule us? We examine the tension between personal agency and state power, comparing a "Digital Detox" class at Loyola University to Australia’s landmark 2026 social media ban for teens. Is a government ban a public health win or a "technical nightmare" justifying invasive AI surveillance? We apply Langdon Winner’s theory of technological somnambulism politics and Steve Woolgar's perspective on the sociology of machines to unmask why these tech shifts are never neutral. Featuring sources from The Washington Post and CNBC. 

Hosts: 

• Carey Faulkner, Associate Professor of Sociology

• Kelly Miller, Senior Instructional Designer