糖果派对

By Christian Uhre Di Gregorio, Faculty of Business and Social Sciences

Artificial intelligence (AI) has gripped the world’s attention – and our news media is no exception. But as AI evolves at breakneck speed, what happens to our trust in news and information? The growing use of AI in news streams puts pressure on consumers, making critical thinking important. It’s nothing new that we need to question the information we’re given, but AI adds a fresh layer of challenges.

Over the next few years, Professor Claes de Vreese and a team at the Digital Democracy Centre will dig into how AI shapes and generates news. AI can produce large amounts of content in no time, allowing businesses, influencers and other players from all around the world to tailor news to their own ends.

The project will explore what news and information mean in an AI-driven world, and the ways AI is changing the way news is made and consumed. It will also shed light on how media organisations can guide their audiences and build a new trust contract at a time when facts matter more than ever. The researchers will examine how AI influences news consumers while also laying the groundwork for future laws and safeguards to help steer AI’s role in the news cycle.

“This is a major project that focuses one of the cornerstones of our democracy. A healthy democracy depends on public trust and engagement,” says Claes de Vreese, Professor at the Digital Democracy Centre.

AI and trust

AI-generated news demands sharper critical thinking from readers, listeners and viewers – especially as more and more stories emerge without a human hand behind them. But while AI raises the bar for both journalists and audiences, it could also help news outlets regain trust and relevance by embracing new technology and guiding users through the shift.

The project will examine how AI affects news consumers at a time when facts have never been more important. Audiences will get more news, more visual content, and a clearer window into how journalism works, bringing greater transparency and inclusivity. AI will also shake up journalism itself, giving reporters powerful tools for digging through vast datasets. It can spark new ideas and fresh approaches to data-driven reporting. It opens the door to a whole new way of working with news.

Professor de Vreese and a team of senior researchers at the Digital Democracy Centre are now putting together their research group, gearing up for the project’s launch in summer 2025. They’ll explore the issue from different angles, carrying out in-depth studies within a Danish context. And alongside their core research, they also plan to involve the news industry.