Media and information literacy and artificial intelligence: workshop in Serbia

UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education took part in the workshop “Foundations of Artificial Intelligence and AI Implications for Freedom of Expression and Media and Information Literacy” organised by the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Serbia and TheNextMinds consultancy company on January 22–24, 2020, in Belgrade, Republic of Serbia.

The three-day workshop provided Serbian government officials and NPO officers with fundamentals of non-technical AI and other emerging technologies such as machine learning, big data, cloud computing, and intelligent Internet of things. Especially the workshop emphasized the impact of the technologies on freedom of expression and on media and information literacy education.

Lectures and discussions were focused on the following topics:

  • comprehensive non-technical coverage of AI basics, concepts, key techniques and the domains of AI;
  • the nature of positive and negative disruption of AI in media and information literacy and freedom of expression;
  • practical use cases of AI in media and information literacy and freedom of expression;
  • skills to convert knowledge of AI tools and techniques to better understand and use in the contexts of media and information literacy and freedom of expression;
  • future impact of AI on businesses, economies, governments and society.

The presenters and trainers of the workshop included Prof. Ibrahim Kushchu, director of TheNextMinds company (Turkey); Igor Shnurenko, independent AI consultant (Russia); Dr. Kutoma Wakunuma, associate professor at De Montfort University (United Kingdom); Tatiana Murovana, programme specialist at UNESCO IITE.

Within the workshop Tatiana Murovana conducted three training sessions on AI and media and information literacy:

  • World transformed by technologies: media and information literacy perspective
  • Positive and negative interactions and influences of AI on media and information literacy: what will change for citizens and teachers
  • How AI boost to media and information literacy will practically empower citizens globally: what is your duty?