Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA)

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the media landscape. From news gathering and fact-checking to automated content generation and audience engagement, AI tools are becoming part of a journalist's daily workflow 👨🏻💻📰 🔎 But while AI offers new opportunities, it also raises important questions about accuracy, transparency, and trust. How can journalists use AI responsibly? What are its real benefits and limitations? And how can AI help communicate complex topics more effectively? These questions were at the heart of the 2026 #ESMHSummerSchool, where participants explored how AI is transforming journalism and science communication ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e_mXKxby #SciComm

Europe is grappling with record heatwaves and alert-level drought conditions that put water resources under pressure 💧 Water is essential for life, food production, energy supply, and economic activity. But access to water is no longer guaranteed everywhere in the EU: 30% of Europeans face water stress each year, and climate change is expected to worsen this trend. 🔎 STOA looked into the future of water availability & consumption in the EU and identified policy options that could improve sustainable water management and resilience to climate change by 2030/2050 ➡️ https://europa.eu/!QYQTj4 📰 Read also our interview with Dr.Maria Kottari on regional disparities in water stress and how the EU can reinforce its water policies: https://lnkd.in/d33X5W3E

On #InternationalYouthDay, let’s have a closer look at how adolescent risk behaviour has evolved over the past decades 🔍 The latest 𝘌𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘺 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘈𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘩𝘰𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘋𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘴 (𝘌𝘚𝘗𝘈𝘋) reveals a decline in traditional substance use among European teenagers since 1995: ⬇️ lifetime alcohol consumption in 15/16-year-olds has decreased by 14% ⬇️ cigarette smoking has more than halved from 68% to 32% ⬇️ lifetime cannabis use dropped to a historic low of 12% But while teenagers drink and smoke less, they struggle with new behavioural and health risks: ⬆️ online teen gambling has doubled since 2019 ⬆️ almost 50% of young Europeans perceive their social media use as problematic ⬆️ lifetime non-medical use of pharmaceuticals such as tranquillisers and sedatives rose to 14% in 2024. 👉 Read our ESMH article to discover how prevention efforts must take into account digital exposure, gender, and mental health to protect the well-being of Europe's youth 📰 https://lnkd.in/eYhBHfgq

Ahead of #InternationalYouthDay, meet the next generation of science journalists! ✨ 🇪🇺 Every year, the European Science-Media Hub brings together young journalists and content creators from across the EU to address the latest challenges in science journalism. More than a training programme, the #ESMHSummerSchool offers a space to ask hard questions and share different perspectives, to build new skills, and to create an international network of fellow science journalists that can help navigate this ever-changing media landscape 🌐🤝 🔍 This year, participants explored the transformative role of AI in science journalism and newsrooms ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e4VYMSW6 #SciComm

🔥 As the intensity and frequency of fires in Europe continue to increase due to climate change and shifts in land-use, the EU must prioritise prevention over suppression in its wildfire strategy. Last May, STOA explored how nature-based solutions such as prescribed burns, thinning of forest areas, and restoration of abandoned farmlands can help reduce wildfire risks ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eqHxUk3e 📰 Read our recent ESMH article with Prof. Juan Picos and Dr. Ragni Fjellgaard Mikalsen to discover how nature-based solutions, diversified landscapes, and new technologies can help prevent small fires from turning into destructive events 👉 https://lnkd.in/eD88UAmS

Why can more evidence push skeptics further away❓     Facts alone aren’t enough. When a message conflicts with people’s core values, even solid data can backfire. This is why the way we frame scientific information matters just as much as the data we present.   📰 In our latest ESMH interview, Prof. Dietram Scheufele, science communication expert at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, discusses why traditional science communication often fails on polarised topics and how AI could make things worse ➡️ https://lnkd.in/enJ8rhKJ   #SciComm #ESMH

Artificial intelligence is transforming the way societies communicate, organise information and participate in public debate. 🇪🇺 But many Europeans still feel disconnected from EU decision-making, often perceiving "Brussels" as distant, complex and difficult to access. ➜ Could digital technologies help close this democratic gap? 🌐   Last month, STOA brought together experts and policymakers to explore how AI and digital tools could help citizens better understand and engage with European policymaking, and foster genuine democratic participation ↓   📺 Rewatch the event: https://lnkd.in/e8VBz6Y7    🔎 Read the STOA study on the use of AI & digital tools for civic engagement: https://lnkd.in/eRxb3KEX

𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞, 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞🌾 This growing trend poses increasing risks to agriculture, food security, the economy and the environment in the EU. Our latest STOA study, "Threats from new and emerging plant pests", examines these evolving challenges and explores policy options to strengthen the EU's response. As future risks become more complex and uncertain, the effectiveness of the EU plant health governance system will depend on its ability to anticipate, adapt to and respond to emerging threats. Discover the key trends shaping the future of plant pests and the policy options that could help reinforce the EU's resilience ↓ 📘 Read the full study: https://lnkd.in/eZ5mPa_t #PlantHealth #PlantPests #FoodSecurity EU Health and Food Safety European Parliamentary Research Service

𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲, 𝗶𝘁´𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 🌡️ According to the World Health Organization around 175,000 deaths each year in the European region are linked to extreme heat. As heatwaves become more frequent and intense, the EU must rethink how its cities are designed, how vulnerable populations are protected, and how health systems can become more resilient. In our latest article, experts discuss how healthier urban environments and early warning systems can help Europe adapt to this new reality: Paulo Morgado Sousa from the University of Lisbon → https://lnkd.in/eaFi63fE Roel Vermeulen🟥 from Utrecht University → https://lnkd.in/ewYwhJ4D 📰 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/eM-cRSQ5 #ClimateChange #PublicHealth #Heatwave European Parliamentary Research Service

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞?🚞 If the technology to support sustainable rail already exists, what is the real obstacle to transforming Europe's transport system? Our recent STOA study on the future of #SustainableRailway transport in the EU finds that technological solutions are largely available. The real challenge lies in how governance, funding priorities, and competition between transport modes shape their implementation and effectiveness. Explore how the study outlines different pathways to help steer a more sustainable, resilient, and competitive EU railway system ↓ 🔗 Read the full study: https://lnkd.in/e8Ag_RjE #SustainableTransport #GreenTransition #EUInnovation European Parliamentary Research Service Ecorys CEPS (Centre for European Policy Studies)