Kenneth Burke, the Humanities, and Agency in the Era of AI

A Virtual Conference and Film Festival

Fast Facts

Conference Dates: May 22–25, 2025 
View the Conference Program
Location: Online in Zoom, Gather, and New Art City
Proposal Submission Deadline: 20 April 2025. Submit proposals here.
Proposal Acceptance Notifications: running, but no later than 22 April 2025.
RENEW A MEMBERSHIP OR JOIN THE KENNETH BURKE SOCIETY HERE (All presenters must be current members of the Kenneth Burke Society)

• Conference Website: http://kbjournal.org/kbs25
• Conference Chair: David Blakesley (dblakes@clemson.edu)
• Program Chair: Taylor Wyatt (tjwyatt@g.clemson.edu)
• Conference Coordinator: Andrew Okai (aokai@g.clemson.edu)
• New Art City Coordinator: Eddie Lohmeyer (elohmey@clemson.edu)
• Film Festival Coordinator: David Williams (dgwilli@g.clemson.edu)
• Accessibility Coordinator: Ashlyn Walden (acwalde@g.clemson.edu)
• Gather Coordinator: Dave Rochlin (drochli@g.clemson.edu)

Kenneth Burke Commonplace Book

Post your thoughts, favorite quotations, stories, memes, images, recordings, and more leading up to and after the conference!
https://bit.ly/kb-commonplace-book

KBS Awards

The call for nominations for Kenneth Burke Society Awards will be announced after the conference, including newly approved ones.

Registration

Attending KBS 2025 will be free for all attendees. Presenters must be members of the Kenneth Burke Society. Not yet a member? Student memberships are only $10 annually, and regular memberships are only $25!

>> Join the Kenneth Burke Society (KB Journal)

Summary of the Conference Details

The 12th Triennial Conference of the Kenneth Burke Society welcomes proposals that focus on any Burkean subject. Proposals that address the conference theme, “Kenneth Burke, the Humanities, and Agency in the Era of AI,” are especially welcome. The conference will be hosted by the Kenneth Burke Society, Parlor Press, and Clemson University, from May 22 to May 25, 2025. In addition to lively presentations, performances, exhibits, a film festival, games, and unending conversation in the parlor, KBS 2025 will also feature a virtual exhibition space in New Art City that features presentations, installations, art, and video.

Conference Theme

Kenneth Burke, the Humanities, and Agency in the Era of AI

Daniel Plate and James Hutson argue that we must view AI “not merely as a technological tool, but as a powerful extension of our symbolic lives, with profound ethical implications” (“Reclaiming the Symbol: Ethics, Rhetoric, and the Humanistic Integration of GAI: A Burkean Perspective,” p. 69). They view AI as an extension of human symbolic action and argue for a balanced approach to its use, which can potentially bridge the divide between humanistic inquiry (what Burke advocates) and continuing digital innovation. Is it possible to view AI as anything other than an adversary of the humanities (especially since AI isn’t going anywhere soon)? Plate and Hutson argue that it is possible to develop a more nuanced understanding of AI by viewing this technology specifically within the context of Burkean rhetorical theory. The LLMs that fuel generative (and textual) AI may enable contextually coherent and persuasive or informative predictions, so how might this generative capacity be differentiated from what Burke calls the entelichial nature of language, our efforts to track down the implications of a terminology (dramatism, terministic screens), or the idea that language does our thinking for us. What might Burke have thought of the technological, linguistically infused golems of generative AI? How does or might generative AI transform (for better or worse) the understanding and value of the humanities? What’s the difference between human and AI agency? What acts might human-AI agency or agents perform? This theme welcomes presentations that offer Burkean readings of AI, which collectively may attest to the importance of the humanities in guiding our ethical and creative uses of AI technology.

“I expect AI to be capable of superhuman persuasion well before it is superhuman at general intelligence," ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman tweeted on X (formerly Twitter) in October of 2023, "which may lead to some very strange outcomes." We welcome proposals for individual presentations, panels, flash talks, Film Festival entry, critical AI projects installations, games, BAHFest presentations, or seminars that explore them:

• What strange outcomes might those be? 
• What does AI have to do with Kenneth Burke?
• How might dramatism (Burke) differ from pattern recognition (AI)?
• How does AI complicate our understanding of Agency? Act? Scene? Agent? Purpose? Attitude? 
• In what ways might generative AI and its superhuman persuasion/rhetoric function as a counter-statement to traditional principles of rhetoric? 
• For Burke, pure persuasion is a motive. Can AI simulate pure persuasion? Agency?
• How does generative AI reinforce or challenge systemic racism, ableism, sexism, classicism, and the intersectional nature of identity and identification?
• How might a Burkean rhetoric of ecological action illuminate the material and economic impact of AI?
• In the era of AI, why/how does rhetoric matter? 

As with prior KBS conferences, we also welcome proposals from all disciplines—and all students and scholars of Kenneth Burke’s work.

Throughout the conference, a combination of keynote speakers, featured presenters, and performers will explore these topics and more. Keynote speakers will be announced in April 2025.

We invite proposals for individual presentations, panels, flash talks, Film Festival entries, critical AI projects installations, games, BAHFest presentations, or seminars exploring the above ideas and concerns. Proposals should be submitted in Submittable HERE. The submission window opens January 21, 2025, and closes Sunday, April 20, 2025, at midnight wherever you are. Proposals for individual presentations, flash talks, short films, critical AI projects, installations, performances, or BAHFest presentations should be no more than 250 words. Proposals for panels with multiple presenters may be up to 500 words. Acceptances will be announced on a revolving basis.

Film Festival

We invite conference attendees, both in person and virtual, to submit short films for the inaugural Kenneth Burke Film Festival. Those who wish to participate should submit pitches of 150-200 words for their films (also due by April 20, 2025). A film pitch is a brief but concise rundown of your film: title, premise, style, and thematic relevance. The pitch doesn’t have to completely summarize the film but should highlight a compelling idea that connects with the theme of this year’s conference (“Kenneth Burke, the Humanities, and Agency in the Era of AI”). Conference attendees whose pitches are accepted will be notified by April 25, 2025, and invited to submit a rough cut or trailer at the next step.

NOTE: The Burke Film Festival is its own unique event within the conference. Videos made for conference presentations/panels are not eligible to be included. 

Completed films should be between five and ten minutes in length. All genres—documentary, narrative, experimental, adaptations, explainer, film essays, interpretation, etc.—are welcome, and other than sticking to the length constraints, all content and aesthetic choices are left to the filmmakers. (Use of generative AI is allowed so long as it is properly credited by the filmmaker.) We hope the film festival inspires imagination, innovation, collaboration, and critical engagement. Be creative! 

For a few examples of what others have done, check out these short films with Burkean themes:

• Eye-Crossing from Brooklyn to Manhattan, Read by Kenneth Burke and Adapted and Produced by Victoria Carrico (visual interpretation): https://vimeo.com/519262323?share=copy
• Scherzando by Jimmy Butts (adaptation): https://vimeo.com/parlorflix/scherzando?share=copy
• The Excursion by Jimmy Butts (adaptation): https://vimeo.com/parlorflix/the-excursion?share=copy
• Parabolic Tale, with Invocation by Jimmy Butts (adaptation): https://vimeo.com/parlorflix/parabolic-tale?share=copy
• Kenneth Burke: 2MinuteThinker by Stephen Lind (explainer): https://youtu.be/iYjpjVDG6zs?si=d5doa3M_IOTcHA5S
• Celebrating Ambiguity: A Rhetorical Examination of Lee Chang-dong's "Burning" by Shauna Chung (film essay/interpretation): https://youtu.be/ZMgW3orOxRs?si=VnfKw9qLRITA-6fA

A rough cut or trailer (i.e., however much participants have been able to put together) will be due by April 30, 2025, for preview by the “studio execs” (i.e., conference organizers), and final cuts are due by midnight on May 15, 2025. Submission instructions will be included in the acceptance notification. 

The Burke Film Festival will take place during the Kenneth Burke Society Conference. An exact date/time will be determined once the conference schedule is finalized. The festival will screen over Zoom, YouTube, and Vimeo. Links will be provided in the conference program.

Prizes: Grand Prize (Burke D’or): $500 gift card for Parlor Press books; Second Prize: $250 gift card for Parlor Press books; Third Prize: $100 gift card for Parlor Press books.

All films will automatically be reviewed for inclusion in the premier issue of a new video journal now in development (name TBD), as well as for publication in KB Journal. 

Bonus: We will also be screening the world premiere of the trailer for David Blakesley's forthcoming documentary, The Wordman.

During the festival, viewers will be asked to vote on their top films. Winners will be announced at the end of the conference.

Any questions about the Burke Film Festival can be directed to the Film Festival Coordinator, David Williams (dgwilli@clemson.edu). 

Happy filming, and we’ll see you on the red carpet!

Accessibility

Clemson University and the Kenneth Burke Society are committed to creating an accessible and inclusive environment for all participants, whether attending in person or virtually via Zoom. Presenters must provide the following accommodations: presentation slides in an accessible PDF format at least 48 hours before their session, accurate closed captions for any videos, alternative text for all images, and clear verbal descriptions of essential visual content. Sign language interpretation and real-time captioning will be available for both in-person and virtual sessions by request. If you need additional accommodations or have specific accessibility requirements, please contact Ashlyn Walden at acwalde@g.clemson.edu.

The Virtual Venues

Asynchronous virtual presentations will be in the form of pre-recorded video hosted by the presenter “live” in Zoom, with additional interactivity in Gather. All presentations (papers, films, posters, flash talks, installations, performances) will also be curated in the interactive virtual space New Art City at the reincarnation of the Virtual Burkeian Parlor. Virtual attendees will have access to the Virtual Burkean Parlor in Gather, coordinated by Dave Rochlin (drochli@g.clemson.edu)

For Burkean Nomads

Some hearty KB travelers and local presenters will gather at the Post-Conference Festival/Pool Party/Wordman filming (hosted by ParlorFlix in Anderson, SC). If you'll be on site (or want to be), let Dave know (dblakes@clemson.edu).

Technical Support

Virtual presenters can ask for technical support to produce video presentations, installations, or other alternative formats. Email Andrew Okai (Program Coordinator) at aokai@g.clemson.edu or Ashlyn Walden (Accessibility Coordinator) at acwalde@g.clemson.edu.

Hosts

The conference chair is David Blakesley (dblakes@clemson.edu). Hosts, program planners, and liaisons are students and faculty in the Rhetorics, Communication, and Information Design PhD program at Clemson University. Funding for the conference is provided by Parlor Press and the Kenneth Burke Society.

Presentation and Session Formats

Presenters may submit a proposal in multiple categories.

Virtual Individual Presentations: Presenters will be asked to submit a recorded (video) presentation by May 15 (one week before the conference begins) and no longer than 15 minutes. The recording will be screened in Zoom, with the presenter available for commentary and Q&A. Individual presentations will be grouped by topic into 75-minute sessions. (250 words)

Panels/Roundtables: Panels will last 75 minutes, with each presenter allotted 20 minutes. Virtual presenters will be asked to submit a recorded (video) presentation by May 15 (one week before the conference begins) no longer than 15 minutes. The recording will be screened in Zoom or Gather, with the presenter available live for commentary and Q&A. (500 words)

Flash Talks: These are very brief presentations lasting only 3–5 minutes, designed to quickly communicate key ideas or research findings. A Flash Talk is a condensed version of a standard conference presentation, allowing speakers to focus on their most important points. The format emphasizes clarity and impact—speakers must grab attention quickly and deliver their message efficiently. Flash talks may include just 2–3 slides and are particularly useful for presenting preliminary research results, introducing a new concept or methodology, promoting a poster session or longer talk, or sharing a specific insight or innovation. Virtual presenters will be asked to submit 3-minute recorded presentations one week before the conference (by May 15). (150-200 words)

Film Festival Entry: These will be screened as part of the Kenneth Burke Film Festival in the “Open” category. Films should be no longer than 10 minutes and submitted no later than May 15 (one week before the conference), with submission directions provided to those who propose this format in their initial submission. (150-200 words)

Installations: Curated content or interactive media in New Art City. An installation may include collections of art, music, photographs, critical AI project, Burkean artifacts, recorded performances, games, or something entirely unexpected. (150-200 words)

Games: To supplement a special session, Kenneth Burke Jeopardy (in Gather), we welcome proposals for interactive games to play virtually (in Gather) or view (in New Art City). (250 words, 3 or fewer images)

BAHfest Presentations: See https://bahfest.com/. These are a celebration of "Bad Ad Hoc Hypotheses” (e.g., well-argued and thoroughly researched but completely incorrect theories or interpretations of Kenneth Burke or the topics of the conference theme). A BAHFest presentation may be presented virtually (via pre-recorded video) and will be allotted 10 minutes of presentation time. Watch an example: Katherine Read: Bipedalism: A Fear Response? (BAFFest London 2019): https://youtu.be/AmJiXKqRKxk?si=yo-rsvdtFNa_IffZ. BAHFest presentations are part of the Games/Fun thread of the conference program. (250 words)

Seminars: A distinct highlight of past KBS conferences has been the seminars, which allow participants to focus on important subjects in depth before and throughout the conference. These seminars will meet virtually (in Gather) three times throughout the conference. Virtual attendees may submit seminar proposals, which require an overview and a short reading list. All participants may sign up for seminars before the conference after they have been announced (April 15). For an example of past seminars, review these: https://www.kbjournal.org/seminars2011. (250–500 words)