Our AI and disinformation work at the institute
AI and disinformation are reshaping how we understand truth, trust and power. They are changing what we see, hear and believe. They can also make the future feel overwhelming and out of our control.
We bring together creative practice, research and public engagement. We examine how create storytelling can make media literacy more effective and appealing. And how our work can contain narratives about AI that humanise and show visions of better alternatives.
Fellowship: Disinformation
Combating disinformation is complex. The inaugural UAL Storytelling Fellowship ran from September 2023 to June 2024. It explored how storytelling can help counter misinformation and disinformation.
The nine-month programme brought together creatives, campaigners, researchers and practitioners. Our Fellows worked across journalism, film, theatre, games, immersive art, sound, activism and academia.
Together, they explored who is most at risk and which interventions may be most effective. They met campaigners fighting digital hate, impact producers and other specialists from across the impact storytelling ecosystem.
Eight projects emerged from the Fellowship. They included a digital murder-mystery game, a climate narrative tool, a museum podcast and zine, and new work in comedy, audio and immersive storytelling.
Download and read the key project learnings: Storytelling Institute Symposium 2024: Truth and Lies (PDF 288KB).
Lab: Disinformation and Games
Media-literacy tools can often feel dry and dull. They may also fail to appeal to people who do not trust institutions or traditional sources of information.
On Their Terms brought together game designers, educators, researchers and media-literacy specialists. We explored how media literacy and psychological literacy could be embedded within game design.
The project included audience research and a two-day Game Design Lab. Two playable prototypes were created and playtested. Plus a UAL teaching module.
The project was delivered in partnership with More in Common and funded by the European Media and Information Fund.
Learn more from our story about Disinformation Lab.
Toolkit: Disinformation and Games
This toolkit consisting of a report and video is for game designers and educators who want to explore media literacy through games. It turns research from On Their Terms into practical design guidance. It focuses on how ideas can be embedded in gameplay, narrative and player experience.
The toolkit moves beyond fact-checking alone. It considers psychological literacy too. This helps players reflect on how emotion, identity, bias and social influence can shape the way we respond to information.
Watch our 6 minute summary video on Vimeo.
Read our report: Countering Disinformation Through Games (PDF 13MB).
Event: AI Narratives
AI is often framed as either a miracle or a disaster. These extreme stories can make the future feel inevitable. They can also leave people feeling powerless.
At Sheffield DocFest, we brought filmmakers, artists, campaigners and technologists. We asked how we might tell different stories about AI. The discussion recommended moving beyond hype and fear. Not producing stories that were about the inevitability of AI. And to tell stories resistance, collective action and alternatives.
Read our story to explore how we can shift from anxiety to agency.
Report: Vocalize
What happens when your voice is no longer under your control?
Vocalize is an immersive performance set inside a fictional talent agency. Participants record a voice reel guided by an AI version of Stephen Fry. Then the experience took an unexpected turn. They heard their own cloned voice say things they had never said
This report examines the effects of this immersive experience. How it made the risks of synthetic media feel immediate, personal and real. And how it increased awareness of how AI can manipulate identity, consent and trust.
Vocalize shows the power of audience as protagonist. The power of personalisation And the importance of a trusted messenger.
To explore how immersive storytelling can build critical awareness, spark dialogue and support public agency in the age of AI read our report: Evaluating an Immersive Intervention on AI Voice Cloning and Digital Trust (PDF 841KB).
