International Center for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities (IZEW)

News

01.04.2026

How to transparently use and label AI in journalism? The VITraDes project is launched!

Disinformation poses a threat to democracy and social stability. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) further exacerbates this problem. The BMFTR project “Trustworthy Information and Transparency regarding Algorithms and Learning Systems in Journalism” (VITraDes) conducts an interdisciplinary investigation into the complex needs for transparency that arise from this for journalism.

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To date, there is a lack of clear rules and standards on how AI can be transparently labeled in journalism to maintain trust in the media and protect the public from misinformation. The “VITraDes” project aims to address this gap in journalism through the transparent labeling of AI use and to contribute to strengthening trustworthy public communication. To this end, IZEW is collaborating with the Bayreuth Center for Law and Technology at the University of Bayreuth and the Institute of Journalism at the Technical University of Dortmund. The project is also supported by associated partners from various media institutions. Specifically, ViTraDes pursues the following approach:

  1. Assessment and critical review: Collection, analysis, and evaluation of regulatory and self-regulatory approaches to transparent AI labeling in journalism, as well as AI initiatives by media companies, publishers, and media organizations.

  2. Self-regulation: Participatory development of guidelines (voluntary commitments) on AI labeling in journalism, including through stakeholder surveys and workshops and the networking of relevant interest groups.

  3. Infrastructure and platform regulation: Analysis of the impact of AI labeling standards in journalism and legal implementation proposals for positive platform governance to promote trustworthy public communication.

  4. Development of educational materials for journalism training regarding verification, labeling, and disinformation.

March 16, 2026 marked the official launch of the new funding campaign by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) to combat digital disinformation. In addition to VITraDes, the campaign will fund ten other research projects through 2029 with the goal of sustainably strengthening societal and technological resilience against digital disinformation. It is part of the German government’s IT security research framework program “Digital. Sicher.Souverän.”

Website: https://uni-tuebingen.de/en/296025

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