NordForsk funding to the University of Jyväskylä for artificial intelligence research

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The project investigates how generative search engines affect media diversity, public debate in democracies, and digital self-determination in the Nordic countries. In addition, the study examines the visibility of Nordic news sources in these systems and public trust in media content produced by artificial intelligence. Generative search engines are AI-based systems that respond directly to user queries instead of listing traditional links. Most people are already familiar with these from Google searches, for example.

The research to be conducted in Jyväskylä is part of a collaboration involving Karlstad University, the University of Stavanger, and the University of Copenhagen. The combined funding from the universities amounts to NOK 16 million, or approximately EUR 1.39 million. The University of Jyväskylä's subproject is led by Professor of Journalism Mikko Villi. The researcher in the project is Minna Koivula, PhD, from the Department of Journalism.

How do generative search engines shape media environments?

Generative search engines are rapidly changing the way people search for and absorb information. As such, search engines also play a role in shaping which news stories and perspectives become part of public discourse, meaning that the decisions made by search engine algorithms have an impact on the functioning of democracy.

The aim of the (Re)Capturing AI project is to understand the impact of generative search engines on media environments and democracy. The project also develops ways to regulate their use in ways that support the responsible, transparent, and welfare-state-based use of artificial intelligence in the Nordic countries.

The research project will produce new information on how generative search engines work in small language areas, how they affect the economic and journalistic operating conditions of news media, and how users search for information on current affairs using artificial intelligence and, on the other hand, trust the information they receive.

The project evaluates current models developed for regulating artificial intelligence and develops alternatives to them. The results of the project will thus support decision-making in the fields of media policy and digital regulation.

Furthermore, the results help to understand the impact of AI-based search engines on citizens' access to information and public debate. Based on these insights, the project aims to promote a more open, democratically sustainable, and equitable digital environment.

Nordic cooperation project brings together researchers from four countries

The project is a Nordic collaboration involving researchers from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland. The project is led by Karlstad University and involves a multidisciplinary research team combining expertise in media and communication studies, political science, and information systems science.

The project, which is being funded by NordForsk, is part of a broader research program on responsible artificial intelligence that aims to harness the potential of AI while mitigating its risks in the Nordic countries.

NordForsk is an organization under the Nordic Council of Ministers that funds and promotes Nordic cooperation in research and research infrastructure.