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  4. Vol 7, Issue 1, 2026

Algorithmic Interpretant: How Weibo's "AI Search" Reshapes Meaning Production

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DOI: 10.23977/mediacr.2026.070115 | Downloads: 0 | Views: 5

Author(s)

Xinglong Jing 1

Affiliation(s)

1 School of Foreign Languages, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, Sichuan, China

Corresponding Author

Xinglong Jing

ABSTRACT

This study examines the phenomenon of algorithmic interpretant—a concept derived from Peircean semiotics—wherein the production of interpretants, traditionally a core aspect of human meaning-making, is increasingly delegated to artificial intelligence systems. Taking Weibo's "AI Search" as a case, this paper investigates how such algorithmic mediation reshapes the dynamics of meaning production in contemporary social media environments. Drawing on qualitative analysis of user-AI interaction traces and platform logics, the study reveals that Weibo's AI search engine functions as a quasi-interpretant that prioritizes computational efficiency, trend conformity, and platform-driven relevance over polysemic or resistant interpretations. Consequently, the algorithm exerts a subtle yet pervasive monopoly over meaning production by normalizing certain interpretive pathways while marginalizing others. The paper argues that algorithmic interpretant does not entail the complete surrender of human semiotic agency; rather, it generates a contested field where algorithmic power and user creativity constantly negotiate the boundaries of meaning. These findings contribute to critical algorithm studies, digital semiotics, and the broader debate on AI's role in cultural reproduction.

KEYWORDS

AI Search; Algorithmic Interpretant; Peircean Semiotics; Meaning Production

CITE THIS PAPER

Xinglong Jing. Algorithmic Interpretant: How Weibo's "AI Search" Reshapes Meaning Production. Media and Communication Research (2026). Vol. 7, No.1, 94-101. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/mediacr.2026.070115.

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