The Threat of AI-Generated Disinformation to European Elections and Democracy
In view of the elections that will be held in 2024 in the EU and other parts of the world including the US and UK, there are various challenges to democratic processes as technological advancements are on the rise. It is argued that electoral periods and times of political crisis serve as fertile ground for the production and dissemination of AI-generated content, heightening concerns about the impact on public perception and democratic processes. Recent instances have demonstrated the alarming potential of AI to enable the production of deceptive narratives, with such disinformation finding [...]
AI Hallucination: When AI Makes Things Up
The word “hallucinate” was announced as the word of the year by the Cambridge Dictionary in 2023. It means “to seem to see, hear, feel, or smell something that does not exist, usually because of a health condition or because you have taken a drug”. The term "hallucination" originates from the Latin word "alucinari," meaning to wander in the mind. Yet, the Cambridge Dictionary added another definition for the word that signifies the emergence of a new phenomenon: “When an artificial intelligence hallucinates, it produces false information”. This indicates that AI may have [...]
The Relevance of Chomsky’s Media Theory in Today’s Digital Landscape: Media Ownership
In an era dominated by social media and big tech giants, the concentration of media ownership has become more important than ever. The infographic above depicts the ownership landscape of major platforms and reveals an interesting truth that media control lies in the hands of a few, steering the narratives that reach billions of users worldwide. This phenomenon echoes the sentiments expressed by the famous linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky in his ground-breaking media theory, specifically his first filter of the “Five Filters of the Mass Media,” the ownership. Chomsky’s media theory, often referred [...]
Data Literacy in the Age of Datafication: A Package to Understand How Digital Technology Treats Us
The complexity of technology, coupled with the emergence of datafication, presents new challenges for society to understand how the world works. Artificial intelligence and big data are just a few examples of the advanced technologies we have to deal with. However, both show the same trend, which is the increasingly important role of data in decision-making. Decision-making is now also automated. This process relies on technologies such as deep learning and the availability of large, real-time data to provide insight, and new knowledge to make policies. One of the easiest examples of the datafication [...]
“Using Media Literacy to Fight Digital Fake News in Later Life: A Mission Impossible?”
Media Literacy Training for Seniors to Fight Fake News The European Commission defines disinformation as “false or misleading content that is spread with an intention to deceive or secure economic or political gain,” whereas misinformation refers to the same kind of content shared without harmful intention, regardless of its consequences. Disinformation is commonly referred to as ‘fake news,’ and it seriously threatens the credibility of information sources and causes public harm on many layers. Media literacy training functions as a strong instrument used to combat the spread of false information by empowering citizens [...]
Bernays the Inventor of Modern Communication: Predecessor of Fake News, He Was A Big Liar
At Christmas 2021, I had a shock. One of my daughters, Raquel, gave me as a gift the latest novel by Mario Vargas Llosa, "Tiempos recios" which is set against the backdrop of the events in Guatemala in 1954 and the overthrow of President Jacob Arbenz by manoeuvres organised by the CIA on behalf of the US government. My daughter knows what I think of Vargas Llosa, but she also knows that the subject of the coup in Guatemala interests me and the book, moreover, is very well written and crafted. Jacob Arbens was [...]
New Civilisation and Global University
Written by Prof. Tapio Varis, President of the EAVI Advisory Committee Abstract: The question of the world order and the trend towards global civilization has inspired scholars, communicators, educators and spiritual leaders to answer questions on how the world works. The traditional Western humanism is challenged by transhumanism that aims to transform the human condition by developing and creating widely available sophisticated technologies to enhance human intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities. However, science, technology and moral values are becoming the credo of the new non-hegemonic order. Education should emphasize the inherent dignity and independence of [...]
The Devil Does Not Exist and Elihu Katz
Written by Marco Antonio Rodrigues Dias Member of the EAVI Advisory Committee In June 1975 - at the time I was at the University of Brasilia (UnB) and was dean of extension - I participated, as a specialist in communication policy, in an international symposium on "Mass communication in rapidly developing societies" - in Mashad, Iran, invited by the National Iranian Radio and Television (NIRT). My name had been suggested to the organisers by Elihu Katz who passed away on 31 December 2021 at the age of 95. Katz was one of the pioneers of [...]
Changing Media World Order
War in Europe and the pandemia and the climate change are globally challenging the existing world order. The continued rise of populism and authoritarianism has witnessed an attack on basic democratic freedoms and led to a divided political and social world. The mentality of a New Cold War is spreading in the world. Democracy and freedom have become ideological issues and propaganda in the media. The EU imposed a ban on “Russia Today” accusing it of systematic disinformation. The sanction means EU operators have been prohibited from broadcasting, facilitating or otherwise contributing to the [...]
What is Digital Culture? – An interactive workshop
EAVI recognises the importance of media literacy and citizenship at a European level with the goal to enable citizens to competently engage with media so that they can fully participate in democratic life. Our goals are ever more relevant as we increasingly become digital citizens faced with both the opportunities and challenges that this era brings. In this context, EAVI conducted the first piloting for the Digital Culture MOOC of the SIDE project on the 22nd of March, 2022, with the aim to: Enhance participants' current knowledge of digital culture; Teaching them new concepts [...]
