Simulated superiority and mediated geopolitics: affective responses to AI-generated political parody in Chinese digital space

Abstract

As generative AI technologies reshape the landscape of political communication, they are increasingly used to craft symbolic narratives of international rivalry. This study investigates how AI-generated political parodies circulating in Chinese digital spaces function as affective tools of “simulated superiority,” helping public process geopolitical tension and reassert national identity. Based on a between-subjects experiment (N = 397) conducted during the 2025 U.S.–China tariff dispute, we find that exposure to AI-generated political parody increases feelings of collective superiority and reduces aggressive attitudes toward the United States, while reductions in perceived geopolitical threat emerge primarily under conditions of high perceived visual realism. Theoretically, we extend classical superiority theory by highlighting three core features of generative parody—de-authorship, narrative re-imagination, and perceived visual realism—as mechanisms of affective political expression. Our findings suggest that AI-generated satire can mediate geopolitical emotions and shape symbolic boundaries of competition and belonging, offering new insight into how technologically produced content influences global political imaginaries and mediated public sentiment.