Latent Spaces: The High-Dimensional Infosphere

Abstract

Briefly considering distributed informational environments as latent spaces for the construction of meaning and knowledge, I explore the concept of the infosphere and the phenomenology of such high-dimensional abstract space in the context of social systems. Spaces such as the internet require radically imaginative tools for meaningful interpretation, as real-world applications powered by big data, an unparalleled infrastructure of digital connectivity and machine learning, are emerging across our social space. Throughout this paper, I construct a narrative that forms a speculative definition of latent social space, opening up avenues for future research into understanding how meaning and knowledge are produced, acquired, collectively made, or otherwise emerge, through new media.