An Analysis on AI Hallucination from the Perspective of Media Archaeology
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An Analysis on AI Hallucination from the Perspective of Media Archaeology

Xunhao Liu 1, Yue Meng 2*
1 Beijing Normal University
2 Fujian Normal University
*Corresponding author: myletha1920@gmail.com
Published on 5 November 2025
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CHR Vol.96
ISSN (Print): 2753-7072
ISSN (Online): 2753-7064
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-523-3
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-524-0
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Abstract

The current controversy surrounding the definition of AI hallucinations in the field of artificial intelligence research reveals the inherent limitations of an engineering-centered perspective. Based on the German theory of Kulturtechnik and through a retrospective analysis of media history, this paper argues that AI hallucinations are not merely technical flaws, but cultural practices that continue the developmental logic of earlier media such as writing and printing. Whether it was the telescope challenging the interpretive authority of theology, or the printing press shaping cognitive power, technological innovations have consistently structured cultural power by defining the boundaries of “reality,” with human anxieties over the erosion of cognitive privilege deeply embedded throughout. As a product of cognitive augmentation in digital media, AI hallucinations, by rewriting the limits of “reality,” constitute a dynamic frontier in the evolution of knowledge forms within human–machine symbiotic civilization. This paper advocates abandoning the binary corrective approach that treats hallucinations solely as technical errors, embracing instead a “new reality” under probabilistic distributions, and reflecting on the emergent ethical relationships of human–machine co-symbiosis and co-evolution.

Keywords:

AI hallucination, generative artificial intelligence, human–machine ethics, philosophy of technology, media archaeology

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Liu,X.;Meng,Y. (2025). An Analysis on AI Hallucination from the Perspective of Media Archaeology. Communications in Humanities Research,96,1-14.

References

[1]. Maleki, N., Padmanabhan, B. and Dutta, K. (2024) AI Hallucinations: A Misnomer Worth Clarifying. In Proceedings of the 2024 IEEE Conference on Artificial Intelligence (CAI). Singapore: IEEE, 133–138.

[2]. Siegert, B. (2023) Kulturtechniken – Rastern, Filtern, Zählen und andere Artikulationen des Realen. Baden: Rombach Wissenschaft Verlag, 27.

[3]. Baker, S. and Kanade, T. (2000) Hallucinating Faces. In Proceedings of the Fourth IEEE International Conference on Automatic Face and Gesture Recognition, 2000.

[4]. Turing, A. M. (1950) Computing Machinery and Intelligence. Mind, New Series, 59(236).

[5]. Foucault, M. (2022) Power of Psychiatry. Trans. Su, F. Shanghai: Shanghai People’s Publishing House, 37.

[6]. Bucciantini, M. and others (2024) Galileo’s Telescope: A Revolution Triggered by an Astronomical Instrument. Trans. Liu, Y. K. Beijing: CITIC Press Group, 45–126.

[7]. Novalis (1960) Blütenstaub. In Kluckhohn, P. and Samuel, R. (Eds.) Schriften. Die Werke Friedrich von Hardenbergs, Bd. III. Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer Verlag, 424.

[8]. Freud, S. (2012) Das Unheimliche (The Uncanny). Berlin: Europäischer Literaturverlag, 14.

[9]. Wang, J. (2021) “Viewing technology through technology”: The German theory of Kulturtechnik and its implications. Journalism Review, (02), 85–94.

[10]. Freud, S. (2012) Das Unheimliche (The Uncanny). Berlin: Europäischer Literaturverlag, 33.

[11]. Hu, Y. and Zhang, W. (2024) From supercomputers to virtual towns: The media archaeology of “AI agents”. Modern Publishing, (06), 18–32.

[12]. Novalis (1987) Heinrich von Ofterdingen. Stuttgart: Reclam Verlag, 165.

[13]. Wang, J.(2020) Kulturtechnik: The frontiers of German media and cultural studies—A dialogue with media philosopher Geoffrey Winthrop-Young. Global Journalism Review, 42(05), 51–60.

[14]. Mähl, H.-J. (1963) “Novalis’ Wilhelm-Meister-Studien des Jahres 1797.” Neophilologus, 47, 296.

[15]. Hu, Y. (2017) In defense of media technological determinism: A new perspective on the history of communication thought. Modern Communication (Journal of Communication University of China), 39(01), 51–56.

[16]. Novalis (1987) Heinrich von Ofterdingen. Stuttgart: Reclam Verlag, 161–163.

[17]. Feng, X. (2006) The Five Books of Moses. Beijing: Oxford University Press, 1.

[18]. Herder, J. G. (n.d.) Abhandlung über den Ursprung der Sprache, Bd. 1. Stuttgart: Reclam Verlag, 149–150.

[19]. Singh, M. and others (2023) “CodeFusion: A Pre-trained Diffusion Model for Code Generation.” In Proceedings of the 2023 Conference on Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing, 2023, 11700.

[20]. Haraway, D. (2016) “A Cyborg Manifesto.” In A Cyborg Manifesto. University of Minnesota Press, 7.

[21]. Feng, X. (2025) I am Omega: On the rise of machine intelligence and the crisis of capitalist succession). Culture Horizons, (1), 94–107.

[22]. Heidegger, M. (2005) Lectures and Essays. Trans. Sun, Z. X. Beijing: SDX Joint Publishing Company, 36.

References

[1]. Maleki, N., Padmanabhan, B. and Dutta, K. (2024) AI Hallucinations: A Misnomer Worth Clarifying. In Proceedings of the 2024 IEEE Conference on Artificial Intelligence (CAI). Singapore: IEEE, 133–138.

[2]. Siegert, B. (2023) Kulturtechniken – Rastern, Filtern, Zählen und andere Artikulationen des Realen. Baden: Rombach Wissenschaft Verlag, 27.

[3]. Baker, S. and Kanade, T. (2000) Hallucinating Faces. In Proceedings of the Fourth IEEE International Conference on Automatic Face and Gesture Recognition, 2000.

[4]. Turing, A. M. (1950) Computing Machinery and Intelligence. Mind, New Series, 59(236).

[5]. Foucault, M. (2022) Power of Psychiatry. Trans. Su, F. Shanghai: Shanghai People’s Publishing House, 37.

[6]. Bucciantini, M. and others (2024) Galileo’s Telescope: A Revolution Triggered by an Astronomical Instrument. Trans. Liu, Y. K. Beijing: CITIC Press Group, 45–126.

[7]. Novalis (1960) Blütenstaub. In Kluckhohn, P. and Samuel, R. (Eds.) Schriften. Die Werke Friedrich von Hardenbergs, Bd. III. Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer Verlag, 424.

[8]. Freud, S. (2012) Das Unheimliche (The Uncanny). Berlin: Europäischer Literaturverlag, 14.

[9]. Wang, J. (2021) “Viewing technology through technology”: The German theory of Kulturtechnik and its implications. Journalism Review, (02), 85–94.

[10]. Freud, S. (2012) Das Unheimliche (The Uncanny). Berlin: Europäischer Literaturverlag, 33.

[11]. Hu, Y. and Zhang, W. (2024) From supercomputers to virtual towns: The media archaeology of “AI agents”. Modern Publishing, (06), 18–32.

[12]. Novalis (1987) Heinrich von Ofterdingen. Stuttgart: Reclam Verlag, 165.

[13]. Wang, J.(2020) Kulturtechnik: The frontiers of German media and cultural studies—A dialogue with media philosopher Geoffrey Winthrop-Young. Global Journalism Review, 42(05), 51–60.

[14]. Mähl, H.-J. (1963) “Novalis’ Wilhelm-Meister-Studien des Jahres 1797.” Neophilologus, 47, 296.

[15]. Hu, Y. (2017) In defense of media technological determinism: A new perspective on the history of communication thought. Modern Communication (Journal of Communication University of China), 39(01), 51–56.

[16]. Novalis (1987) Heinrich von Ofterdingen. Stuttgart: Reclam Verlag, 161–163.

[17]. Feng, X. (2006) The Five Books of Moses. Beijing: Oxford University Press, 1.

[18]. Herder, J. G. (n.d.) Abhandlung über den Ursprung der Sprache, Bd. 1. Stuttgart: Reclam Verlag, 149–150.

[19]. Singh, M. and others (2023) “CodeFusion: A Pre-trained Diffusion Model for Code Generation.” In Proceedings of the 2023 Conference on Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing, 2023, 11700.

[20]. Haraway, D. (2016) “A Cyborg Manifesto.” In A Cyborg Manifesto. University of Minnesota Press, 7.

[21]. Feng, X. (2025) I am Omega: On the rise of machine intelligence and the crisis of capitalist succession). Culture Horizons, (1), 94–107.

[22]. Heidegger, M. (2005) Lectures and Essays. Trans. Sun, Z. X. Beijing: SDX Joint Publishing Company, 36.

Cite this article

Liu,X.;Meng,Y. (2025). An Analysis on AI Hallucination from the Perspective of Media Archaeology. Communications in Humanities Research,96,1-14.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of ICADSS 2025 Symposium: Consciousness and Cognition in Language Acquisition and Literary Interpretation

ISBN: 978-1-80590-523-3(Print) / 978-1-80590-524-0(Online)
Editor: Yanhua Qin
Conference website: https://2025.icadss.org/Beijing.html
Conference date: 20 October 2025
Series: Communications in Humanities Research
Volume number: Vol.96
ISSN: 2753-7064(Print) / 2753-7072(Online)

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