[CESERH] IMACTIS Research Seminar. Images Today org. by DONDERO & D’ARMENIO (18/01/22) - Seance 5

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The talk provides a rich, interdisciplinary analysis that connects media theory, semiotics, and political economy. The speaker successfully argues that face filters are not merely playful tools but part of a larger algorithmic and data-driven image economy. The argumentation is systematic, moving from technical description to experiential and then socio-political implications, and it is supported by references to academic works and real-world examples. The proposal to consider these images as ‘dispositifs’ is original and offers a coherent conceptual lens. However, some points would benefit from more empirical evidence, and the speaker acknowledges the complexity while offering a tentative conclusion.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

The presentation is academically rigorous, referencing works such as ‘Les formes de l’expérience’ and concepts from media philosophy. The speaker cites institutional reports (e.g., American Academy of Plastic Surgeons) and investigative journalism (The Intercept) to support claims about political and economic aspects. The title is accurate as it describes the seminar and its theme. The absence of a written description or chapter markers is compensated by the structured oral presentation, though the transcript’s transcription errors slightly hinder clarity.

The title accurately describes the seminar session, its organizers, and the date; the content aligns with the announced theme.

8/10

The talk is an academic seminar by a specialist in semiotics, drawing on theoretical frameworks and empirical research, though the transcript is noisy and some references are incomplete.

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

• 00:00Welcome and introduction of the two guest speakers by the seminar chairs.
• 15:00Main speaker begins his talk on augmented reality face filters, defining them as a new generation of algorithmic-real-time images.
• 40:00Discussion of the technological perspective: how face filters merge capture and display, moving beyond classical photographic logic.
• 1:20:00Experiential perspective: identity negotiation, body dysmorphia, and the role of filters in playful and creative practices.
• 2:00:00Political-economic view: data economy, surveillance, and facial recognition, with examples from TikTok and Clearview AI.
• 2:30:00Conclusion: proposal for a socio-semiotic approach to images as dispositifs, integrating resource management and power relations.

• Les formes de l'expérience — Book mentioned by the speaker as an epistemological framework for analyzing media experience.
• American Academy of Plastic Surgeons — Institutional report cited regarding the rise in facial cosmetic procedures linked to face filters.
• The Intercept — Investigative article about TikTok instructions to manually edit videos for aesthetic optimization, cited as example of platform politics.