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Vattenfall
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Disinformation
Leading up to the event on 24 September in Brussels where the central question will be whether climate communication can overcome the bad news problem, this article series has been created to keep you updated about the program, the speakers and relevant news relating to the topics. Future articles are going to look closely at the issue of building capacity and audiences for climate change communication, eco-depression and themes that inspire action, based on the best research available. With the EU elections coming up in June, this article zooms in on the topic of disinformation and climate change, with special attention to artificial intelligence (AI).
Recently, Dutch media platform Nieuwsuur, in collaboration with AI Forensics, discovered that AI chatbots suggested to spread disinformation and sow fear when prompted to draft a Eurosceptic campaign strategy for the EU elections. The fact that AI applications, such as deepfakes and chatbots, can influence elections is a growing concern. “The threshold for creating this type of content has become very low due to artificial intelligence,” says Claes de Vreese, professor of artificial intelligence and Society at the University of Amsterdam. "If you simply let go of these technologies, artificial intelligence is a threat to democracy."
How false narratives threaten climate action
To tackle climate change is not only a battle against rising temperatures and extreme weather events, but also against the shadowy adversary of false narratives.
While climate misinformation and disinformation are not new, the emergence of generative artificial intelligence is playing a pivotal role and social media companies’ algorithms are further boosters.
"Artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing how we create, disseminate and consume information," says Syed Nazakat, Founder and CEO of DataLEADS.
Editor’s Top Picks:
- In a March 2024 report, “Mapping a surge of disinformation in Africa”, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies documents a fourfold increase in disinformation campaigns since 2022. Sources of disinformation are identified; Russia appears as the leading purveyor.
- The Stockholm Resilience Centre’s 2023 report, “AI could create a perfect storm of climate misinformation”, usefully takes a broad perspective, ranging from the neuro science of false beliefs to the role of artificial intelligence in creating and diffusing misinformation.
- CNN: Study – Climate change deniers changing tactics to spread misinformation. Watch a news report about a January 2024 study from Center for Countering Digital Hate: “The New Climate Denial”.
“We are strong believers in the power of storytelling. The Commission is producing a lot of data and analyses, but we need to be able to bring that across to a wider audience.”
Paolo Caridi, Head of Unit Communication, DG Climate Action at the European Commission, when discussing that facts alone are not enough to impress on voters the importance of fighting climate change. Paolo will be taking part in the event in Brussels in the panel that discusses whose facts matters in the climate change story.
Excited about the event in September and want to invite someone you know? Please forward this article. You can sign up for our newsletter here. Just send your name and e-mail address to climatechange@vattenfall.com!
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My latest article delves into the way that we delude ourselves anyway, even without deliberate disinformation or accidental misinformation. Our entrenched cultures of pronatalism and growth economics are reflected in our modern education. This renders most of us incapable of thinking outside the constraints of these two cultures. The article is free on Medium and LinkedIn. If you are open to a radically different way of thinking, you should enjoy reading it: https://medium.com/@barbarawilliams1/storytelling-and-science-02dad6b3e2fa https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/storytelling-science-barbara-williams-2euse/
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Thanks Sarah, so great to see you as excited for it as we are, hope to see you there!
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I think this will be such a great event! This is a key topic for the future of humanity