Mercedes Bunz (born 1971) is a German media theorist, journalist, and academic recognized for her work on digital media, internet culture, and the philosophy of technology. Her research critically examines the social, cultural, and political implications of digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and network society.
Biography and Career Born in 1971, Mercedes Bunz studied Philosophy, Literary Studies, and Art History at the Free University of Berlin. She later earned her Ph.D. from the University of the Arts Berlin, focusing on the history and theory of digital media.
Bunz began her career as a journalist, writing for prominent German newspapers and magazines, including Süddeutsche Zeitung and Die Zeit. She became known for her insightful commentary on technology, internet culture, and the burgeoning digital landscape.
In her academic career, Bunz has held various positions at leading institutions. She was a lecturer at the University of Lüneburg, where she contributed to the Hybrid Publishing Lab. She later became a senior lecturer and then a professor at King's College London, primarily within the Department of Digital Humanities. Her teaching and research at King's College London have focused on critical theory and digital culture, exploring the transformations brought about by new media technologies.
Major Works and Contributions Mercedes Bunz's work often bridges the gap between theoretical inquiry and practical understanding of digital phenomena. She is known for her ability to articulate complex ideas about technology in an accessible manner.
Her book, The Silent Revolution: How digital media are transforming our world (2014), co-authored with Armin Nassehi, explores the profound societal changes instigated by digital technologies, arguing that these changes are often subtle but far-reaching. She has also written extensively on the history of the internet, the philosophical underpinnings of digital communication, and the ethical challenges posed by artificial intelligence.
Bunz's theoretical contributions include:
- Critique of Digitality: She questions the often-uncritical adoption of new technologies, urging for a more nuanced understanding of their impacts beyond mere efficiency or innovation.
- Philosophy of AI: Her recent work delves into the philosophical implications of artificial intelligence, examining issues of agency, creativity, and the human-machine relationship.
- Media Theory: She contributes to contemporary media theory by integrating historical perspectives with critical analysis of current digital trends.
- Hybrid Publishing: Through her involvement with the Hybrid Publishing Lab, she has explored new forms of scholarly communication and publication in the digital age.
Selected Bibliography
- Bunz, Mercedes. Die Geschichte des Internet: Vom Netz zum Global Village. Berlin: Kadmos, 2004.
- Bunz, Mercedes, and Armin Nassehi. The Silent Revolution: How digital media are transforming our world. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2014.
- Bunz, Mercedes. "The Machine as the New Human." AI & SOCIETY, vol. 35, no. 1, 2020, pp. 249–256.
- Bunz, Mercedes. "An Architecture of Anticipation: On the Political Consequences of Algorithmic Prediction." In Critical Algorithms, edited by Tobias Matzner and Jan-Hinrik Schmidt, pp. 11-26. Wiesbaden: Springer VS, 2019.