A new project led by ADAPT’s Dr. Iker Erdocia of Dublin City University and Dr. Brendan Spillane of University College Dublin has been awarded funding under Research Ireland’s New Foundations programme (Strand 1c), as part of a €683,677 investment supporting 59 projects nationwide.
Their project, Understanding and Countering Dis/Misinformation from a Multilingual Perspective, supported by the ADAPT Centre and DCU’s FuJo Institute, explores how disinformation spreads in lesser-used and minority languages, in particular Irish, and seeks to develop strategies and tools to mitigate its harmful effects.
The project will bring together linguists, computer scientists, media experts, and policymakers through a dedicated workshop and a six-part webinar series. These events will highlight current research, foster interdisciplinary dialogue, and help build a robust network of experts working to track and counter disinformation in under-represented languages using AI-driven tools.
The New Foundations programme’s includes co-funding from a range of Government Departments and agencies, including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Irish Aid), Department of Education, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the Policing and Community Safety Authority (PCSA), Department of Rural and Community Development, and The Heritage Council.
