Four days, six interactive sessions, fifty science communicators from nineteen Member States: the 2026 European Science-Media Hub (ESMH) Summer School set the stage to discuss the use of artificial intelligence and ethics in science journalism.
The 2026 ESMH Summer School took place at the European Parliament in Brussels from 22 to 25 June 2026. Young science journalists and content creators from across the EU participated in two panel discussions and four workshops on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in media production and reporting, particularly in science communication. AI was given the spotlight both as a powerful set of tools that could greatly benefit media professionals, and as a complex technology that poses many ethical questions… A lot of stimulating food for thought!
Trust: the core human value that makes us stand out
From viral photos to deepfake videos, AI challenges our ability to distinguish what is true from complete fabrication. Mirko Bischofberger from Science Studio demonstrated during his engaging workshop that even the most educated media professionals cannot distinguish human made from artificially generated content at first glance. However, by doing background research and operating as fact-checkers, science journalists and communicators can provide the public with curated information that they know can be trusted. As panellist Dr. Bahareh Heravi from the University of Surrey put it during the opening session: “Journalists have always kept people accountable, now they also have to keep AI accountable. Journalists can be the keepers of this changing media ecosystem”. Humans trust other humans, thus we are irreplaceable in this regard.
Dr. Eszter Papp, researcher and science communicator, Hungary: “I decided to check out the program because I wanted to learn more on science communication, and now I also have tools that I can use in my work and everyday life. I would totally recommend this experience because you meet a lot of new people and make a lot of meaningful connections!”
Time-consuming tasks? Let AI handle them…
Repetitive and time-consuming tasks often end up wasting the best part of a workday for media professionals: scouting press releases, keeping track of lengthy public discussions, transcribing, browsing other outlets for news… This is when AI can step in, suggested workshop leader Jyri Kivimäki from Yle, Finland’s Public Broadcasting Company. AI tools can help handle the most ‘inconvenient’ parts of a journalist’s job, allowing not only for an increase in productivity but also for an increment in output quality. Indeed, all the time saved by delegating those tasks to AI means that journalists can focus on their reporting and crafting compelling, informative science narratives – perhaps using the storytelling tips of Jeremy Wilks’ workshop, science correspondent at Euronews.
Ana Ramos, journalist, Portugal: “I run a news project that also has a science section, so I am very interested in knowing more about how to communicate in this area, which was one of the reasons why I decided to participate. I also wanted to know how AI is being used in newsrooms throughout Europe.“
Sustainability and AI use – when people and places pay the toll
When talking about the use of artificial intelligence, particularly Large Language Models (LLM), it is impossible to ignore the most pressing issue: sustainability. Data centres consume a lot of resources, and exploited human labour is often hidden behind a shiny technological facade. Svea Eckert, freelance tech journalist, emphasised in her workshop the importance of nuanced and people-centric reporting on AI, one that does not overhype AI tools by hiding their most problematic aspects. At the same time, the solution is not necessarily complete rejection of AI use. Chris Stokel-Walker, author of ‘How AI Ate the World’, pointed out during the closing session that using local or smaller models to work on simple tasks can save quite a lot of energy as compared to using large cloud-based LLMs, for instance.
Anna Henschel, editor and science journalist, Germany: “The Summer School was the perfect fit for me because it focused not only on tools but also on responsible reporting, a discourse that is often not present in these discussions.“
Free from AI or free AI?
When talking about AI and dependence, personal over-reliance and cognitive decline related to intensive LLM use are often mentioned. Although some preliminary studies seem to hint at possible problems on this subject, wide scale economic dependence should currently be the main concern. At the closing ceremony, panellists Lidia Dutkiewicz, Legal and Policy Officer at the European Commission, and Dr. Theresa Josephine Seipp from the University of Amsterdam explained how the lack of truly open AI models has caused a lot of European media outlets to be dependent on AI technologies owned by foreign private big-tech corporations, creating an unprecedented power imbalance. This is why EU efforts on AI regulation are so crucial and must continue to grow. In the words of STOA Vice-Chair, MEP Lina Galvez: “Rules are what makes innovation trustworthy. The question is not whether to regulate artificial intelligence, but if we will regulate it well, with enough nuance to protect freedom of expression and media pluralism while holding the most harmful uses firmly to account”.
Lucía Ballesteros, science communicator, Spain: “I am not the most skilled when it comes to new technologies, but I enjoyed the event, and I bring home all the conversations with participants that had different European backgrounds and brought very different flavours to the conversation. Also, a big list of new tools to try!”
Rewatch the opening and closing sessions of the 2026 ESMH Summer School.
