Academic Journal of Science and Technology ISSN: 2771-3032 | Vol. 7, No. 1, 2023 104 Media Transformations in People’S Daily Lives Against the Background of Media Convergence in The AI Era -- Presenting "Generation Z" as an Example of The Behaviour in Connecting with Mass Media and Online Platform Content. Elin (Yiling) Wu1, a 1Institute of Problem Solving: RMIT University, Melbourne City Campus, Australia aEmail: elinyiling@163.com Abstract: This research is concerned with the transformation paths of traditional media in the context of the continuous development of media convergence, especially in how Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC) (Shine, 2023) affects people’s daily lives. This project will analyze and discuss the emergence of VR, AR, AI/AIGC and other new technologies, as well as how to inject new kinetic energy and new ideas into the transformation of traditional media types in the new media era and improve the media industry chain. What is the recent status of these new media forms (especially AI) and what issues need to be discussed? What impact does the process of media transformation from traditional media to new media have on people's daily lives? This paper will use Generation Z (News Stanford, 2022) as a sample for the research since it is a generation that grew up with the Internet. Generation Z grew up in an environment with exposure to smart terminal equipment and is extremely susceptible to the influence of Internet media. They connect to media information with their personal subjective tendencies which often have an important impact on their values, life attitudes and behavior patterns. Generation Z is also a mid-end force in the media industry for the next ten years. Therefore, it is of social research value to analyze the behavior of Generation Z users who use mainstream media and publish content on social platforms. Keywords: AI Era, Gen Z, Media transformations, People ‘daily lives, Media convergence. 1. Introduction In recent years, the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has already arrived. In 2016, AlphaGo, developed by Google's DeepMind, beat the top human Go players (The Guardian, 2016)[3]. In October 2017, an article in the magazine Nature reported that AlphaGo Zero was able to learn the game of Go without any human input and that its skills were breathtaking (Silver, 2017) [4]. In terms of seniority, Google is the originator of AI Generated Content (AIGC), having introduced the concept of Transformer” in 2017 (Matt, 2022) [5], which has since become the standard for big language models, with OpenAI’s current ChatGPT predecessor, GPT-3, released almost three years ago. In January 2023, the AIGC concept surged with news that Microsoft had increased its position” in the field (bloombery, 2023) [6] and in March the company announced the launch of a new AI version of the search engine Bing and Edge browser, which integrates OpenAI’s GPT technology to answer user questions and chat interactively in a similar way to ChatGPT (Global Economic Forecasts, 2023)[7]. Speaking at the launch, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said, Artificial intelligence will reshape almost every piece of software; it's a new era in the search engine space, a new paradigm for search, and swift innovation is coming” (CNBC, 2023). [8]. In the new media era, mainstream media keeps updating its paradigm in the exploration of media convergence. American media scholar, Paul Levinson, put forward the concept of "compensatory media" in his book ‘Digital McLuhan’, in order to summarize the characteristics of media development and evolution. Levinson believes that the emergence of every new media is a kind of compensation for the previous media to make up for previous shortcomings (Katz, 1957). [9]. In this critical time, as the wider media environment is being influenced by the changing technological landscape and, as a result, new media types are increasingly reflecting a new trend toward artificial intelligence, this trend will affect people’s daily lives in the long term. The arrival of new technologies such as cloud data, 5G, VR, AR, AI/AICG, etc., have to some extent changed the audiovisual techniques, genres and overall ecological landscape of traditional media. The arrival of AI technology has enabled many online media platforms to be produced across disciplines, with robots and humans working together, or even with AI programming being used to automatically edit and produce self-media individually and independently. 2. What Values and Functions Are Provided in This Process of Media Transformation in The AI Era (Of Which Generation Z Will Be Used as An Example). From ancient times to the present day, the media has been an important channel of communication for connecting things and information, dealing with people and being inextricably linked to their daily lives. When it comes to the functions of mass communication, the American scholar Wright, according to Lazarsfeld and Katz’s [9] overview of the social functions of mass communication (American Sociological Review, 1982) [10], added the function of "providing entertainment" to his book "Mass Communication: An Exploration of its Functions’. This emphasizes the need for mass communication to meet the spiritual needs of society, in 105 addition to its responsibility to deliver information and integrate society This paper not only examines how the transformation of traditional media into new media in the AI era has affected people's daily lives, but also how the new media in the AI era will affect people's lives from the functional level of social media and the typical application level, respectively. Firstly, the study of the functional aspects of the media in this phase will extend from the social function of mass communication to the spiritual needs of society at large. It will investigate what values and functions are provided in this process of media transformation (of which Generation Z will be used as an example). Secondly, at the level of typical applications, it investigates the verticals that the new intelligent media has enabled, for example, cultural tourism and leisure, conferences and exhibitions, and government and public services. In fact, compared to traditional media, the new media in the context of the AI era has been recognised by mainstream society in terms of typical applications, with practical functions in niche areas including movies, virtual reality, UGC (user-generated content), concerts, or sports competitions, etc., and integrated into people's daily lives. The integrated application of audio/video + AI, AR/VR + AI/ Big Data has brought new functions to meet people's daily needs more than the traditional Internet. As a generation born along with the Internet, "Generation Z" (Eldridge, 2022) [11] has connected with the Internet to build a circular community and continuously innovate the paradigm of cultural expression, thus building an interesting cultural group. The information builds circular communities, constantly innovates on cultural expression paradigms, and builds cultural groups classified by interests and which are character rised by strong emotional connections, circling, niches, etc. However, while enriching cultural development, this circular group also disrupts the communication field and creates barriers that makes it difficult to communicate with others. However, at the level of media development, while the composition of these circles enrich the development of culture, this kind of stratified group also disrupts the field of communication, creating barriers that make it difficult for "outsiders" to participate in communication. For influential media in the age of AI, this kind of stratification is not conducive to the dissemination of mainstream values and the cohesion of social consensus that media organizations have to promote. Therefore, in the context of integrated media, the mainstream media, on the basis of exploring the innovative discourse expression system of "Generation Z" (Stadford, 2023) [12], should open up communication channels within the circle and build a bridge to communicate with "Generation Z" in the context of the AI era. In the context of the AI era, how to build a bridge to communicate with "Generation Z" is a key step. Some scholars believe that Gen Z grew up on free news, but some in the group are still willing to pay for local or high-quality news - especially when it is accompanied by excellent visual effects or a smooth “app” experience. Gen Z's attention span may be short but they still pay attention when it matters Thus, in the face of the immaturity and emotional vulnerability of Gen Z, it is important that Gen Z is guided by the values of the mainstream media (news media). 3. To Explore the Dissemination Rules of New Media in The AI Era In People's Daily Lives (Example of Online Data Using) In new media communication, compared with traditional media, data plays a major role in people's daily lives, which is an objective and profound reflection of the communication effect. Data can help new media understand their shortcomings and actual communication effects more accurately and intuitively. When applied to people's daily lives, data analysis of audience groups and news lists can improve the professionalism and relevance of communication work. For example, from the report of 2023 YouTube Revenue and Usage Statistics (Monali, 2023) [13],it can be seen in the YouTube station in the analysis of their own data after the user tendency to understand the data reflects that in 2022, YouTube first uploaded to the platform the video "I'm at the zoo" （Karim，2022）. By the end of 2022, there would be more than 2 million videos per day on the YouTube website, with an average of more than 20 million active users per day. This data can reflect that the content this type of user follows and posts is mainly related to animal entertainment and it was projected that the data would tend to trend in 2022, so that the subsequent promotion of the content focuses more on the entertainment segment to meet the needs of the users. (Tellerport, 2023) [14] (https://www.statista.com/: Worldwide advertising revenues of YouTube as of 1st quarter 2023(in million U.S. dollars))[15] 106 In addition, the use of data in new media is becoming increasingly global and relevant to people's daily lives. The analysis of media data can be used to acquire, disseminate and share information content globally, so that people can receive a full range of information. Furthermore, based on the hidden nature of online media, especially in the human-computer interaction mode（Winograd，2006）[16] in the AI era, the use of data can make communication more precise and achieve barrier-free communication between users, so that after obtaining relevant information in offline daily life, people can speak freely through the online virtual identity on the premise of lawful and legal compliance. After obtaining relevant information in their daily lives, people can also speak freely on the premise of legal compliance through the online virtual identity of the network again. This shows that digital communication and the use of data can make up for the shortcomings of traditional communication methods. At the same time, under digital communication, the relationship between new media platforms and users tends to be more egalitarian in the AI era because users can be both the subject and the object of communication and both sides can share the content of communication with each other to ensure the efficiency of news dissemination. In people's daily lives, the use of data can help the new media communication in the age of AI to provide more comprehensive and accurate data information, continuously improve its communication methods, and provide users with personalized communication content in their daily lives. 4. To Investigate the Audience and Feedback of Media Transformation, Focusing on The Communication Value and Social Impact That New Media Have Brought to Multiculturalism in The AI Era In People's Daily Lives. 4.1. New media communication of health concepts in daily life The "social mediaisation" of health communication (Strömbäck, 2008) [17]and public opinion in daily life can lead to guidance disorder and new media, in the context of the AI era, will accelerate the dissemination of public opinion. Taking the period of COVID-19 as an example, during the epidemic, in people's daily lives online media platforms were used to carry health communication about COVID-19 that could satisfy the audience's need to obtain a large amount of health information and communicate with each other for dissemination (Nature, 2021) [18]. However, with the deepening of the use of new media by the audience, the "social mediaisation" of public life is beginning to emerge. In terms of obtaining health information and health communication, the public has a deep dependence on social media and people begin to lack the spirit of independent thinking and can unconditionally believe in the health content obtained from social media. As an example, on Statista's news page we can see the global use of social media during COVID-19 – statistics and facts (Dixon, 2022) [19]. As 2020 was the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, it changed people's daily lives in a variety of ways, and one of them was undoubtedly how people used the new media platforms. The Statista data[20] shows that in 2020, the average time spent on social media by users in the United States increased significantly to 65 minutes per day, compared to 54 and 56 minutes in the two previous years, respectively. The amount of time people spend on social networks is expected to remain stable over the next few years. In 2020, the topic of 'epidemic health' received many “retweets” and comments on social media in the context of people's daily lives and many large forums also posted related articles. Public groups/viewers do not have the professional ability to recognise such reports and identify health information in the daily lives of people in the epidemic phase, which can easily cause social disorder. 4.2. Mass social values transmitted by new media in people's daily lives - the example of multiculturalism in the Australian media industry In 1977, the Australian Government’s Department of Ethnic Affairs Commission recommended that the then Fraser government introduce a public policy called multiculturalism to accommodate Australia's multicultural society[21]. This was Australia's first attempt to develop a government policy on migrant settlement to manage a culturally diverse Australia The guidelines[22]. covered migrant settlement, migrant community counselling and mentoring, ethnic minority media and education. The Australian Government has undertaken several measures and initiatives to promote the development of Australia's multicultural society, such as the establishment of the Ethnic Minority Communities Council and the provision of simultaneous interpretation services for telecommunications. The media organisations created at the time have become influential mainstream media in people's daily lives in Australia. The Special Broadcasting Service Australia (SBS) and minority radio stations 2EA and 3EA are examples of this media[23]. The Australian Government’s policy support has laid a solid foundation for the continued development of the multicultural Australian media industry, while at the same time, the Australian public has experienced the integration of cultural diversity into their daily lives through the media. In the daily lives of most Australians, people, regardless of their backgrounds, proactively interact with other cultures and enjoy cultural diversity. The advantages of this cultural intermingling and matching are even more prominent in today's context where people use new media in the age of AI. Furthermore, in the multicultural context of Australia, people from non-English-speaking backgrounds are more inclined to use both mainstream and culturally specific media, especially for the Generation Z group, which seems to be better able to find a balance between mainstream media and multicultural sources according to their specific needs and preferences, as they have a more positive view of cultural intermingling and matchmaking than the older generations. 5. Figures, Resolutions, Work plan and Resources For this research, there is a need for data collection and technical equipment such as AR/VR glasses/equipment, programming software, editing software, green-screen shooting facilities, etc. In addition, compared to the basic 107 media crew, I also need to work with technicians/scientists/academics who specialise in AI or data programming to research and produce media production together. Finally, regarding data collection, it would be ideal if this could be supported by schools or public databases from the community or government departments that could facilitate the progress of this project. This project will collect data in various ways, verifying and analysing it from several aspects. (a.) Literature/press method: I will study the existing literature, follow the news and facts on this topic and investigate the information and data from authoritative media reports, books and literature. (b.) The case study method: This will include an in-depth study and analysis of a socially influential case that has taken place, using Lasswell's model of communication (Mulder, 2022) [24].as a starting point to investigate the five main areas of research on interactive documentaries in communication studies: communicator, message, medium, recipient, and effect. (c.) Empirical research method: The subject will also be studied theoretically and through continued journalistic practice. It will be based on the results of empirical testing, adjusting research ideas, and revising and improving research methods to achieve the research objectives. Work plan July 2023 – December 2023: Early stages of research (1) Quickly adapt to the research-level curriculum, intellectual framework and academic norms according to the supervisor's guidance, revise the research plan and actively consult with the supervisor. December 2023 – July 2024: Research preparation phase / preparation of data and surveys (2) Design a research proposal: clarify the research direction and research focus of media transformation in the AI era and determine the research framework. (3) Collect research materials: collect relevant authoritative papers on this project. This includes reading and accumulating comprehensive and authoritative global media news, accumulating thematic papers and focusing on investigating research developments in Global in areas related to AI media transformation. July 2024 – December 2024: Project implementation phase (4) Actively communicate with my supervisor, collate information and prepare a first draft. December 2024 – July 2025 Empirical testing phase (5) Combine the theoretical research knowledge gained in the early stages and enter the media work studio with equipment and instruments (AI outfit, VR/AR glasses, etc.). The results of the previous phase will be tested, revised and summarised in the context of the practical use of AI media. (6) Based on the test results, revise the research thesis and publish the phase academic research results. July 2025 – July 2026: Research completion stage (7) July 2025 – December 2025: Refine and revise the thesis and publish the phase results of the academic research. (8) December 2025 – July 2026: Produce a comprehensive summary of the dresearch and the collection and collation of relevant materials. 6. Conclusions This paper had theoretical implications for the transformation of media creation and communication practices in the age of AI. Compared to traditional media, research on emerging forms of media in the AI era is scarce and fragmented and lacks authority and scholarship. This is because this is a media era that is changing dramatically. Most academic theories remain controversial, leaving many scholars, media industry workers, and potential audience groups in an age of confusion, making the production of professional research reports necessary. In recent years, due to the rapid development of technology, many new media have emerged at a rapid pace. Most audience groups have a vague concept of the various forms of media, and one of the potential expected research contributions of this project is to clarify academic definitions and help audiences understand and learn to use new types of media in the age of AI. Therefore, it is necessary to systematically summarise and anchor the impact of media renewal on people's lives in the AI era, as well as to clarify the changes in the practical application of the shift from traditional to new media in people's lives. References [1] Zhu shenshen. (2023, January 30). AIGC shares surged in China with ChatGPT and similar applications on the rise. Shine. https://www.shine.cn/biz/tech/2301305645/ [2] University, S. (2022b, January 3). What to know about Gen Z. Stanford News. https://news.stanford.edu/2022/01/03/know- gen-z/ [3] Borowiec, S. (2016, March 9). Google’s AlphaGo AI defeats human in first game of Go contest. 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