Empowering Fact-Checking with AI

This research project addresses the growing challenge of multimodal online disinformation and its impact on journalism, democratic debate and freedom of speech. It explores how verification infrastructures can support both journalists and audiences in navigating increasingly complex information environments.

The project develops and pilots an open, collaborative, AI-enabled verification system designed to provide users with trustworthy information at the point at which they encounter potentially misleading content online. The system combines journalistic fact-checking with automated detection methods to provide contextual signals, alerts and explanatory warnings. During the pilot phase, the project will conduct experiments to examine how fact-checks influence users’ engagement with online content and how such a verification system can be used effectively by journalists and newsrooms.

The research project is led by Professor Hannele Seeck, with researchers based at the LUT DPS Lab, LUT University, Finland, the University of Cambridge, Vilnius University and the London School of Economics and Political Science. The international multidisciplinary team consisting of researchers and specialists of journalism, computer science, political science, computational social science, sociology, organisational studies and media and communications studies.

This 2-year research project (September 2026 - August 2028) is funded by the Helsingin Sanomat Foundation (Helsingin Sanomain Säätiö).

Goals

By emphasising transparency, user agency and cross-organisational collaboration, the project aims to strengthen the public reach, societal impact and practical usability of verified information and advance research on verification systems.