The International Winter School “Discern – Disinformation in the AI Age,” February 4-10, 2024
Today marked the launch of the first edition of the winter school “Discern – Disinformation in the AI Age,” organized by the School of Computer Science for Business Management at the Romanian-American University, under the Erasmus Blended Intensive Programme. The event was attended by both Romanian students and students from various other countries. The winter school sessions take place from February 4 to February 10, 2024.
In the opening of the event, Mr. Costel Negricea, Ph.D. Habil. Professor, the Rector of the Romanian-American University pointed out that our society is currently at “a crossroads in the evolution of information and technology.” He emphasized that “This Winter School, a pioneering Erasmus Blended Intensive Program, is not merely an academic exercise; it is an inspiring call to address the pressing challenges and opportunities that lie at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, disinformation, and international security”.
On the occasion of the official opening of the winter school, Mr. Alexandru Tăbușcă, the Dean of the School of Computer Science for Business Management stated that “We have brought together in this winter school some of the most curious minds from partner universities participating in the program. It is a pioneering project that perfectly combines the technical aspect with the general cultural area in the field of cybernetic security and social culture, from the perspective of disinformation.” Mr. Tudor Edu, Ph.D. Habil. Professor Vice-President for research, innovation and internationalization, Mr. Lucian Botea, Ph.D. Lecturer Vice-President for partnership development and digital transformation and Mr. Andrei Luchici, Ph.D. Lecturer, also spoke at the opening of the school.
Students from several countries such as Poland, Estonia, Spain, Bulgaria, and Romania expressed their enthusiasm for participating in such a unique opportunity, which, in their view, allows them to learn about how AI technologies can be manipulated and used for disinformation and propaganda. They also have a chance to learn about new cultures, exchange experiences, engage in various activities, and, last but not least, make new friends.
The official program of the winter school includes theoretical course sessions combined with workshops and extracurricular activities. Reputed guests, such as H.E. Reuven Azar, the Ambassador of Israel to Romania, and Mr. Paul Sandeep, spokesperson for the United States Embassy in Bucharest, are invited to deliver lectures during the winter school sessions.
At the end of the winter school, organizers expect participants to have acquired comprehensive knowledge about the functioning of artificial intelligence, with a special focus on generative AI. Participants are also expected to have developed skills to identify and counteract disinformation attempts, learned refined methodologies to assess information validity, and gained awareness of the national and international security implications stemming from artificial intelligence.
Our university is extremely pleased to be the initiator of such a large-scale international event.
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