Dr. Franklin T. Wilson, an Associate Professor of Criminology, has been invited to be a roundtable discussant on Contemporary Issues in Crime and Media at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology in Philadelphia this November. The eight-person panel will consist of noted Crime and Media scholars from both the United States and Australia.
The abstract for the panel states “In an era of media incoherence characterized by rapidly developing Artificial Intelligence technology, the proliferation of disinformation, and the tumultuous terrain of social media, the purpose of this roundtable is to facilitate discussion around contemporary issues in crime and media studies. Discussants will share their perspectives on what they perceive to be the most challenging aspects of conducting crime and media research.”
Dr. Wilson states that his primary focus will be on the impact of AI, not just in crime and media research, but its overall ability to alleviate many of the underlying social determinate factors that lead to criminality. “The speed at which we will be able to solve issues like food deserts, access to health care, various mental health issues, and more is going to be so quick I do not think many people can fully get their head around the topic. This is why much of my classroom time is spent discussing AI and its implications. If our students do not understand its overall impact and have at least some experience using AI to solve problems I fear that within three to five years they will start not being employable in most sectors.”
Dr. Wilson founded and served as chair of the International Crime, Media, and Popular Culture Studies Conference which was held here at ISU from 2009 to 2014. He has served as an invited Media and Crime Section Chair for the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences on two different occasions. He is also serving as a member of the American Society of Criminology (ASC) Division of Historical Criminology planning committee for the 2023 conference.