ALIES

Talking to machines, deciding with machines: Public engagement with science in the era of Artificial Intelligence

Project Partners

TU Braunschweig, Institut for Communication Science

• Prof. Dr. Monika Taddicken
• Dr. Esther Greussing
• Evelyn Jonas, M.A.
• Ann-Christin Weber

Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology

• Prof. Dr. Ayelet Baram-Tsabari
• Dr. Inbal Klein-Avraham
• Shakked Dabran, M.A

Description

This innovative research project delves into the intersection of science communication, human-machine communication, and science education to explore the impact of AI technology on informed decision-making in everyday scenarios. By focusing on the perception and use of technologies such as Project Debater (IBM) and ChatGPT (OpenAI), the project seeks to understand how people interact with and make sense of communicative AI stepping into the role of a science communicator. Additionally, the project reevaluates the concept and measurement of science literacy in adult life in light of future AI advancements. Through comparative theoretical and empirical work conducted in Germany and Israel, including interviews, performance tasks, and online experiments, this project lays the foundation for further research on AI-augmented science communication and the development of AI-based intermediaries for scientific information.

Duration

October 2022 – September 2025 

Funding

"Niedersächsisches Vorab" (Lower Saxony Ministry for Science and Culture, Volkswagen Foundation)

Publications

• Greussing, E., Gaiser, F., Klein, S. H., Straßmann, C., Ischen, C., Eimler, S., Frehmann, K., Gieselmann, M., Knorr, C., Lermann Henestrosa, A., Räder, A., & Utz, S. (2022). Researching interactions between humans and machines: Methodological challenges. Publizistik(67), 531–554. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11616-022-00759-3

Presentations

• Peter, E., Greussing, E. & Taddicken, M. (2023). ChatGPT als Wissenschaftskommunikator? Die Rolle epistemischer Überzeugungen und Vertrauen bei der KI-gestützten wissenschaftsbezogenen Informationssuche. Poster presentation at the joint Annual Conference of the DGPuK units „Science Communication“ and „Journalism/Journalism Research“ in September 2023 in Passau, Germany.
• Greussing, E., Peter, E., & Taddicken, M. (2023). Sprachassistenten als Informationsintermediäre: eine Typologie regelmäßiger Nutzer*innen in Deutschland. Presentation at the 68^th Annual Meeting of DGPuK in May 2023 in Bremen, Germany.
• Greussing, E., Peter, E., & Taddicken, M. (2023). Asking voice assistants about science: A typology of regular voice assistant users in Germany. Presentation at the 73^rd Annual Conference of the ICA in May 2023 in Toronto, Canada.
• Greussing, E., & Taddicken, M. (2023). Who uses voice assistants to learn about scientific issues? A segmentation analysis of German adults. Visual paper at the 17^th Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) Conference in April 2023 (virtual).
• Greussing, E., Taddicken, M., & Baram-Tsabari, A. (2023). Socio-scientific issues meet AI technology: Reflections on the cognitive order of society. Presentation at the 17^th Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) Conference in April 2023 (virtual). 
• Greussing, E., Taddicken, M., & Baram-Tsabari, A. (2022). Changing epistemic roles through communicative AI? Presentation at the Annual Conference of the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) in October 2022 in Aarhus, Denmark.
• Greussing, E., Taddicken, M., & Baram-Tsabari, A. (2022). Changing epistemic roles through communicative AI? Presentation at the pre-conference "The Science of Science Communication: Mapping the Field" at the 72^nd Annual Conference of the ICA on the 25^th of May 2022 in Paris, France.

Workshops

Frehmann, K., Peter, E., Klein, S., Greussing, E., & Gaiser, F. (2023). Mit der (Un-)Beständigkeit der Forschungsobjekte in der HMC umgehen. Workshop at the 68^th Annual Meeting of DGPuK in May 2023 in Bremen, Germany.