Transmit the Future | Caroline Busta & Lil Internet

The way that we consume information has transformed profoundly over a relatively short period - shifting from traditional media like newspapers to algorithm-driven platforms like TikTok. But has our conceptual understanding of this seismic shift, and its impact on us as media subjects, kept up with the speed and scale of change? Caroline Busta is adamant that, “If we only had a clearer common understanding of how media flows, we’d be able to better understand how it works on us, or what kind of ‘us’ it’s now producing”.

Drawing on examples, from Balenciaga to Shein, Busta traces the evolution of media from linear, to network, to neural. She uncovers how shifts in the chains of creative production are affecting our brains, and raises fundamental questions about what it means to be human.

Busta’s talk is followed by a fascinating conversation with Lil Internet. The two co-founders of the new media platform New Models, delve deeper into the implications of the re-organisation of media production.