Automating the Nation: Generative AI, Media Discourse, and the Future of Political Communication in China

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the landscape of political communication, profoundly affecting both the creation of media content and the governance and evolution of public discourse. This article examines the portrayal of generative AI in Chinese state media and social media, illustrating how these portrayals reflect the broader evolution of digitally mediated political communication. A mixed-methods approach combining computational text analysis and Critical Discourse Analysis is applied to detect five dominant narrative frames: technological nationalism, economic modernization, governance efficiency, ethical risk management, and public uncertainty. The results indicate that state-media texts predominantly associate generative AI with national innovation, high-quality development, and intelligent government. Conversely, concerns regarding job replacement, misinformation, algorithmic bias, and digital trust are more prevalent in social media conversations. These differences indicate that generative AI is not merely a communication tool, but a novel socio-technical infrastructure influencing the production, distribution, and interpretation of political messages. While this infrastructure enables state-oriented priorities in the Chinese context, it simultaneously generates complex challenges concerning automation, credibility, and platform-mediated discourse. Ultimately, this study contributes to the broader research on AI and political communication by theorizing generative AI as a critical discourse-shaping technology within contemporary state-society relations, offering valuable insights for future policy and governance frameworks.