Scientists in Ireland fear misinformation and AI-generated content will undermine knowledge and understanding among the public and politicians.
These issues, and climate change, dominate their concerns as they face the challenge of communicating important scientific issues in the immediate future. They were highlighted in a survey of 350 scientists and researchers who have joined the all-Ireland Science Media Centre, a non-profit organisation set up to provide free expert analysis for news outlets.
“So when stories break, evidence and expertise are part of the conversation from the very beginning and not correcting after the fact,” said chairwoman Claire Mac Evilly.
Ireland’s is the eighth Science Media Centre after the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Germany, Taiwan and Korea.
The original in the UK formed after the furore around research, later discredited, linking the MMR vaccine to autism, and the so-called Frankenstein food controversy that blew up over genetically modified seeds. Scientists found they were trying to provide explanations after misinterpretations had already taken a firm hold in public and political debate.
Funded by universities and research institutes, the centre holds a database of experts who volunteer to provide rapid reaction, in-depth analysis or previews of upcoming issues depending on the subject and circumstances.
The all-Ireland centre, which has run on a pilot basis for the past two years, has now been formally established and given a base at Airfield Estate farm and gardens in Dublin.
Dr Sinéad Waters of the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences at University of Galway, told a gathering to mark its launch that scientists were often reluctant to talk to media and feared being misquoted by non-expert journalists but the Science Media Centre removed those concerns.
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She converted to the idea when asked for input into a row that erupted in Britain last year over the use of feed additives that reduced greenhouse gas emissions from cows.
Once word got out that a co-op that supplied large supermarket chains was going to trial the additive, the reaction was instantly negative.
“It was videos on Twitter [now X] and TikTok of people pouring milk down the sink and saying I’m not going to touch this because this feed additive causes male infertility,” Waters said.
“They said [Microsoft founder] Bill Gates was behind this. There was a huge amount of misinformation circulating.”
The row dissipated after multiple news outlets carried explainers gathered by the Science Media Centre to debunk the wilder theories.
The experts who signed up to the all-Ireland centre told a survey on joining they believed a similar service was needed on the island.
A quarter of them said they believed scientific issues were reported poorly in Irish media while just over half said coverage was “average”.