Generative AI and Disinformation

Timetable

The timetable will be announced in late September 2026.  

Module aim (aims)

The course aims to:

(1) contribute to improving the digital literacy, critical thinking, and ethical decision-making skills of students,

(2) prepare students to navigate the digital information landscape effectively,

(3) equip students with the necessary skills to navigate and counter disinformation.

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

The course is designed for students with some knowledge of communication and digital media, as well as those who are not familiar with media-related topics.

Syllabus

The course is developed under the framework of the project AI-LITERATE: Upskilling Higher Education in the Age of Generative AI and Disinformation (Erasmus+ KA220-HED - Cooperation partnerships in higher education). 

The course is divided into three parts:

(1) Introduction to GenAI,
(2) Disinformation in the age of GenAI,
(3) Media Production in the age of GenAI. 

Each part will focus on several aspects, including: Media and Generative AI, Psychology of Misinformation,
History of Political Propaganda, Disinformation and Digital Marketing, Conspiracy Theories and Storytelling, Human Rights in the Disinformation Age, and AI-assisted Multimedia Production.

Due to a practical focus of the course, students will participate in workshops. Each part will have 1 pre-test, 4 videos (1 for each part), 4 quizzes (1 for each part), 1 presentation, 1 self-paced activity, and 1 post-test. 

Reading list

Grub M.F. & Humprecht E. (2025). Defining the Role(s) of AI in Disinformation Research—A Systematic Review, International Journal of Communication, 19, 3577–3601.

Bentzen, N. & Kresnichka-Nikolchova, N.  (2025). Information manipulation in the age of generative artificial intelligence, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2025/779259/EPRS_BRI(2025)779259_EN.pdf

Kertysova, K. (2018). Artificial Intelligence and Disinformation: How AI Changes the Way Disinformation is Produced, Disseminated, and Can Be Countered. Security and Human Rights, 29(1-4), 55-81. https://doi.org/10.1163/18750230-02901005

Radsch, C. (2022). Artificial Intelligence and Disinformation: State-Aligned Information Operations and The Distortion of The Public Sphere. the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media. Vienna. https://www.osce.org/sites/default/files/f/documents/e/b/522166_0.pdf

Bontcheva K. (ed.) (2024). Generative AI and Disinformation: Recent Advances, Challenges, and Opportunities. https://edmo.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Generative-AI-and-Disinformation_-White-Paper-v8.pdf