Hannes Cools is a communication scholar at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR), as well as the AI, Media and Democracy Lab of the University of Amsterdam. His research includes responsible (generative) AI and news, computational journalism, and newsroom innovation.
His academic journey started coincidentally in 2018 when he finished his master’s in international politics and media and was simultaneously working as a journalist for the Belgian newspaper De Morgen. The initial idea of pursuing a PhD became more prominent when he was confronted with a relatively new development redefining journalistic practice today: the increasing ‘datafication’ of newsrooms.
He was specifically fascinated by how emerging technologies like recommender systems and audience metrics tools seemingly automated daily decisions in newsrooms. His experience from the news industry laid the groundwork for what would become his research line in his PhD and beyond: exploring the complex ways in which news workers perceive and engage with emerging technologies.
In 2025, he is an assistant professor at the University of Amsterdam. His is also an affiliated researcher at the Communication, Culture and Technology Program at Georgetown University in Washington DC.
