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The French Institute organized a round table on AI-generated propaganda

Last modified by Iglika Ivanova on 2026/04/23 21:05

Published Wednesday 22 April 2026 at 16:00

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The French Institute in Bulgaria, in collaboration with the French and German Embassies, organized a discussion on "Artificial Intelligence and Political Propaganda." The event took place immediately after the elections in Bulgaria—on April 21, 2026.

The program began with a screening of a film by Maya Dimitrova from BNT (a BROD partner) titled  AI and Political Propaganda: How Synthetic Videos and Memes Manipulate Public Opinion. Isabelle Wirth, a member of the Executive Board of the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO), and Rosen Bosev, responsible for Bulgarian-language fact-checking at Agence France-Presse (AFP), presented the primary challenges facing journalists today.

In the subsequent round table, participants—Dr. Johannes Hillje, Nikola Tulechki, Maya Dimitrova, Rosen Bosev, and Isabelle Wirth from AFP and BROD partners—discussed the impact of AI on democracy. Rosen Bosev commented that it is becoming increasingly difficult to recognize AI-generated images. Discussing the role of the state in controlling AI-generated manipulations, participants agreed that further efforts are needed and that media literacy remains crucial at this stage. Isabelle Wirth expressed hope for a common European understanding of the role of media literacy, drawing a comparison: just as people choose between a good and a bad restaurant or good and bad food, they must learn to choose quality news themselves. Users must mature enough to recognize the need for the truth.

The discussion also featured Dr. Johannes Hillje, a political communication consultant, who shared European experiences and noted that AI-generated memes are not just entertainment. Data expert Nikola Tulechki highlighted the ongoing need for human intuition and knowledge in identifying disinformation. Moderated by Mimi Shishkova-Petrova, the participants emphasized the importance of common sense prevailing in every individual. The event, open to the general public, was held in a packed hall. It is part of the regional project "Strengthening Democratic Media in the Black Sea Region," implemented in partnership with Agence France-Presse (AFP) and supported by the Bulgarian-Romanian Observatory of Digital Media (BROD).