The Gig Public: AI-Driven Contractual and Habitual Performativisation of Publicness

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Slavko Splichal

The Gig Public

Name: The Gig Public
Price: 160 AUD
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ISBN: 9781839995217

AI-Driven Contractual and Habitual Performativisation of Publicness

Slavko Splichal

$160

Hardback

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English

Anthem Press
11 November 2025

Media studies

This monograph explores the evolving nature of publicness in the era of digital communication and social media saturation, arguing that the rise of the 'gig public' represents a new paradigm that challenges the traditional conceptualisation of the public in shaping social and political change.

The gig public departs from traditional notions of publicness and the public, characterised by individuals' spontaneous and less-structured engagement in public discourse. This engagement is often hampered by challenges in fostering sustained interaction and depth of discussion, due to the ephemeral nature of online interactions.

In particular, this monograph highlights the importance of customs, negotiations, and contracts that complement the normatively privileged public reasoning in public domains. It examines the transformations in the multifaceted nature of the public and its interrelationship with other social structures amid the shifting boundaries between public and private domains. In addition, it explores the evolution of conceptualisations of publicness and related concepts within critical theory, illustrating how contemporary shifts are redefining civic engagement and the essence of public life in a rapidly changing world. From these perspectives, the study is structured around three primary focal points: First, it analyses how new information technologies and AI have altered human interactions within the public sphere. Second, it examines the impact of capitalist economic dynamics and governmentality strategies on reshaping the public realm, fundamentally altering the essence of the public and its democratic potential. Third, it explores how habitual and routine practices traditionally associated with the private sphere are now influencing the ongoing evolution of publicness.

The monograph aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the challenges posed by the fragmentation of contemporary public discourse and the emergence of gig publics. It also considers strategies to invigorate publicness through AI technology that enables users to transform plain language into automated actions on their computers, potentially reshaping civic engagement in the digital age.

By: Slavko Splichal
Imprint: Anthem Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 153mm, Spine: 15mm
Weight: 415g
ISBN: 9781839995217
ISBN 10: 1839995211
Pages: 180
Publication Date: 11 November 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Foreword; Introduction: The Gig Public – Rethinking Publicness in the Age of AI; Digitalisation and Communification; The Gig Public; Publicness and the Public Sphere; Outline of the Book; 1-From Collective to Counter: Understanding the Evolving Territories of Publicness; 2-Paradigm Shifts: Habitual and Contractual Foundations of Publics; 3-The Gig Public: Redrawing the Boundaries between Public and Private Realms; 4-Invigorating Publicness in the AI World: Challenges, Opportunities and Strategies; References; Index

Slavko Splichal is Professor of Communication and Public Opinion at the University of Ljubljana's Faculty of Social Sciences.

Reviews for The Gig Public: AI-Driven Contractual and Habitual Performativisation of Publicness

Adroitly articulated and keenly observed, Professor Splichal’s timely book is a sobering account of the changing nature of ‘publicness’ in an age of AI.' —Daya Thussu, Professor of International, Communication, Hong Kong Baptist University