Edward B. Kang

Edward B. Kang is Assistant Professor in the Department of Media, Culture, and Communication. He is currently writing a book (under contract, MIT Press) that parses the scientific, cultural, and technical formats through which artificial intelligence, voice, and listening are fastened together. He is also the co-director of a multi-year project supported by the National Endowment of Humanities (NEH) titled Machine Listening in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. 

Kang’s work sits at the intersection of Science & Technology Studies (STS) and Sound Studies, with a specific focus on the sociotechnical dimensions of AI/ML systems and the communities, cultures, and practices through which they are enacted. His research on these topics has been published in Big Data & Society, Social Studies of Science, Science, Technology & Human-Values, and the Proceedings for the ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency, among others. 

In addition to his work on AI/ML systems, Kang has published research on digital platforms such as Tinder, Spotify, and Thematic, as well as given talks on South Korean pop culture.

Kang holds a PhD in Communication with a graduate certificate in Science & Technology Studies from the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School, and a BA in East Asian Area Studies with a minor in Music Industry also from USC. At USC, he was a member of the Sloan-funded interdisciplinary research collective Knowing Machines, as well as served as Assistant Editor for the International Journal of Communication.