School of Communication Associate Professor Dr. Jaejin Lee presented two papers on May 20-24 alongside Associate Professor Dr. Jiyoung Cha (Penn State) and Associate Professor Dr. Dam Hee Kim (Korea University) at the 2025 World and Media Economic Conference (WMEMC) in Warsaw, Poland.

WMEMC focuses on investigating, evaluating, and expanding insights within media industries by supporting researchers and practitioners in media management and economics. Under the 2025 WMEMC theme, “Reinventing Management for Turbulent Times: Confronting the Next Wave of Digital Disruption,” Lee presented one of her papers on Artificial Intelligence (AI), “Are Artificial Intelligence Recommendations Better Than My Choice? An Examination of Reliance on AI Recommendations on Video Streaming Platforms,” with co-author Cha, and one of her papers on intercultural branding, “International Branding for Cultural Products: Brand Consistency across Culturally and Linguistically Different Countries” with co-authors Cha and Kim.

“I had the opportunity to connect with scholars from around the world and engage in thought-provoking discussions. The conference not only broadened my perspective but also sparked new ideas for future research,” Lee added.

Lee emphasized that her research was sparked by AI’s growing prevalence in everyday media consumption, particularly on video streaming platforms where algorithmic recommendations considerably form user experiences and mindsets.

Through her WMEMC presentation, Lee underlined AI’s powerful influence on people’s engagement with media, especially how algorithmic recommendations shape perceptions despite the process behind them being rarely visible to media consumers. For Lee, this raised questions about trust and the strategic role of branding in digital media today.

“By focusing on how users respond to AI recommendations and how branding is established across cultures and countries, we wanted to spark a conversation about their strategic roles in today’s media industry,” Lee said.

Looking forward, Lee hopes to explore how people engage with AI across a wider range of digital platforms and everyday media use.