Short on-line gatherings that intend to raise awareness of the EU EOM community about emerging issues and also to respond to the high level of interest in receiving more information on areas of rapidly developing methodology. Typically, EODS Webinars will last up to 90 minutes and an expert on the relevant field will be invited as keynote speaker.
AI, Elections and the Future of News: Accountability and Algorithmic Gatekeeping in Generative Search Engine Political Information Retrieval
18 June 2025, Wednesday (4:00 – 5:30 PM CET)
Cornelia Brantner, Professor, Department of Geography, Media and Communication, Karlstad University, Sweden
Michael Karlsson, Professor, Department of Geography, Media and Communication, Karlstad University, Sweden
Joanne Kuai, Research Fellow, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, Australia
As AI-powered search engines and chatbots become central to how people access political information, questions about their accountability, accuracy, and sourcing practices are increasingly important. This webinar presents findings from a research project on the role of generative AI in political information retrieval, focusing on the 2024 Taiwan presidential election.
The study examines the performance of AI chatbot in retrieving political information across five lanagues, investigating factors like factual accuracy, transparency, adherence to democratic norms, and sourcing behaviour. The study uncovers significant discrepancies across languages in terms of content readiness, source attribution, and impartiality, highlighting the challenges of ensuring accountability in AI-mediated communication during politically sensitive times.
In this webinar, we aim to unpack the impact of AI on news media diversity, democratic processes, and the potential regulatory responses necessary to protect the integrity of political information in an increasingly AI-mediated world—and reflect on how policymakers and election observers can respond to these emerging challenges.
Cornelia Brantner is a professor of Media and Communication Studies and the coordinator of the Centre for Geomedia Studies at Karlstad University, Sweden. Her research focuses on visual communication, geomedia, digitalized publics, and digital infrastructures. She leads the research project Digital Infrastructure Sovereignty: Towards a Public Value-Based Media Policy for the Datafied Swedish Welfare State (2022-05392), funded by the Swedish Research Council.
Michael Karlsson is Professor in the Department of Geography, Media and Communication, Karlstad University, Sweden. His research interests are theoretical, methodological and normative issues related to digital journalism and public opinion. He is widely published in journals such as Digital Journalism, Communication Theory, and New Media & Society.
Joanne Kuai is a Research Fellow at RMIT University, Australia and affiliate researcher at ARC Centre of Excellence in Automated Decision-Making + Society. Her research interests centre around digital journalism, the social implications of automation and algorithms, and data and AI governance. Prior to her academic career, she worked as a reporter, editor and news anchor in China for over a decade.
Kuai, J., Brantner, C., Karlsson, M., Van Couvering, E., & Romano, S. (2025). AI chatbot accountability in the age of algorithmic gatekeeping: Comparing generative search engine political information retrieval across five languages. New Media & Society, 14614448251321162. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448251321162
Brantner, C., Karlsson, M., & Kuai, J. (2025). Sourcing behavior and the role of news media in AI-powered search engines in the digital media ecosystem: Comparing political news retrieval across five languages. Telecommunications Policy, 102952. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102
Online
English
Limited places available. Priority will be given to individuals with professional experience as CT or LTO members of EU EOMs. Interested people with experience in other election observation or assistance institutions will also be considered.
16 June 2025 (end of day, Brussels Time)
A confirmation email with the relevant Webex link will be sent before the event.
Interested individuals should complete the registration form online at: http://www.eods.eu/application
