Project Overview
Upon invitation by the Council of Europe, the AI, Media and Democracy Lab has drafted a comprehensive advisory report on the advantages and risks that the use of Generative AI (GenAI) can bring to media, democratic and electoral processes. Considering the broader technological context in which it operates, dynamics around power, access, and resource use, as well as governance, this report defines key priorities in managing the role that GenAI plays in our society.
The report is grounded in the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law.
Approach
The report follows three detailed case studies of AI use:
Journalism: More and more newsrooms are integrating GenAI in their production processes, transforming the news value chain.
Electoral processes and political campaigns: As the avenue with the potential for the strongest influence, political processes can be shaped, both positively and negatively, by GenAI’s abilities to shape communication between citizens and political parties.
Public digital information infrastructure: GenAI as a technology is being embedded in citizen information infrastructures, which has structural implications that are far less visible.
Within these case studies, insights from state-of-the art research in communication science and digital journalism are translated into suggestions for strategy and prioritisation.
We will be reflecting on our preliminary recommendations in a stakeholder workshop on October 28th and the full report will be shared later this year.
Researchers
About Charis Papaevangelou (external researcher)
About Fabio Votta (external researcher)
