Achievements

The research group organised the conference titled "Science and Disinformation: How can Science Support Society against Disinformation?" on 13 October 2023. This event focused on the research group's key research theme, the complex relationship between science, society and disinformation. Presentations at the conference highlighted the impact of disinformation, fake news, conspiracy theories, pseudo-scientific and anti-scientific beliefs on public opinion and social trust in institutions; the discussions on these issues in social, political, scientific and media discourse; and the various practical solutions, particularly in the fields of science communication, media regulation/platform regulation, content management in social media, and education. In alignment with its mission, the Research Group places a strong emphasis on international collaborations, inviting speakers from abroud to share their insights during the conference. The keynote speaker, Joseph E. Uscinski, a professor at the University of Miami, addressed the nature and logic of conspiracy theories, particularly those associated with science, and their connection to social media. Gábor Szüdi from the Centre for Social Innovation in Vienna, discussed the role of science communication in evidence-based policy-making, highlighting findings from two EU Horizon 2020 projects on this subject—TRESCA and VERITY. The panel discussion, participated by Professor Uscinski and Professor Szüdi, as well as three members of the research group - Nóra Falyuna, Márton Demeter, Katalin Fehér, addressed the following topics: paradoxes of trust and distrust in science within the information society; factors shaping society's perception of science; the influence of digital culture on science communication and scientific knowledge production; the impact of artificial intelligence and the relationship between science and business development on social trust and credibility; and the logic of conspiracy theories that challenge these. 

The research group also examined its key topic in relation to emerging digital technologies, posing questions about: how these technologies impact information and knowledge production, as well as the complexity of scientific research and science communication. They also explored strategies for effectively adapting information and knowledge production and communication

to contemporary technological contexts, the role of scientific content in teaching image and text generators, and approaches for science to communicate successfully with technology. The impact of new technological developments also becomes a focal point in relation to the production and spread of misinformation and disinformation, as well as the potential for effective information sharing and communication between science and society. The Research Group organised two international conferences related to this topic. The symposium titled "Science, Communication, Artificial Intelligence" was organised on 23 May 2024 in partnership with the Office for Science Strategy. The event's keynote speaker was Manuel Goyanes from Universidad Carlos III, Madrid. He discussed the role of artificial intelligence in the social sciences, arguing that AI tools offer the potential to deepen our understanding of social phenomena and to analyse them based on data. In the panel discussion that followed the presentation, the keynote speaker, Márton Demeter, Head of the Office for Science Strategy, member of the Research Group, and Julian Romero, historian and sociologist, examine the interconnections between AI and publishing trends and methodologies in both academic and journalistic contexts. The symposium titled "How Emerging Tech Reshapes Communication and Society" on 14 November 2024 aimed to discuss the impact of emerging technologies on science and science communication - with a broader societal transformative impact. The event's keynote speaker was Tomasz Gackowski, Professor at the University of Warsaw, who provided insights into the new, innovative, multidimensional and in-depth research opportunities that biometric and disruptive technologies offer to the social sciences. In the panel discussion that followed the presentation, Nóra Falyuna, Head of the Research Group; Zsolt Ződi, Senior Research Fellow at the Information Society Research Institute of the University; Katalin Fehér, member of the Research Group, and Tamás Tóth, Assistant Professor at the Department of Social Communication, discussed the intersection of science-society-technology in a broader context and from different perspectives. Professor Gackowski also lectured on AI's impact on science and society for the students of the General Sociology course.

The membes of the Research Group contribute to the academic community through publications and presentations at both domestic and international conferences and journals, and they are engaging in public understanding of science activities. Their publication lists are accessible under the introductions section.