Top scientists of different disciplines from around the world have come together to address issues such as algorithmic manipulation, bias, hate speech, misleading information, deep fakes, and other issues that have created a ‘global information environmental’ crises.
The scientists established the International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) in May last year. The organisation proposes responding to issues that pose “an existential threat to humanity” and “cost billions of dollars, millions of lives and an erosion of trust in science, our institutions and each other”, according to the IPIE website.
In Africa, the IPIE is spearheaded by Rhodes University’s Dr Chikezie E. Uzuegbunam, who is a member of the organisation’s Advisory Committee. He told Ajenda that after being formed in Washington, the IPIE has since been registered as a non-governmental organisation in Switzerland.
“It’s an organisation that wants to bridge the gap between academia and policy-making bodies in the area of the information environment,” he said. This, he added, means dealing with information disorders such as misinformation and disinformation across the world.
The IPIE brings together academics, policymakers, activists, and technology creators “to have a conversation because, sometimes, we academics work in our silos, and in our associations. But now, this organisation provides space where we can engage in conversations on these issues and generate academic research on what is happening – in terms of policy, among others, so that our research can actually have an impact in the world, especially with regard to the current global information environmental’ crises of false information, misinformation, disinformation, and so on and so forth’”.
Since its establishment, the IPIE has published several reports on several subjects. These include an Expert Survey on the Global Information Environment 2024: Searching for Solutions, Expert Survey on the Global Information Environment 2023: Lessons for Technology Policy and Design and Strategies for Improving the Global Information Environment: Results from a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. More reports and publications can be found here.
The IPIE operates through specialised committees, each focusing on key aspects of its mission. The permanent committees are Ethics, Science and Methodology, and Membership. They “bring together global experts to explore the complexities of the information environment, enabling informed, actionable insights,” reads the organisation’s website. It adds that the committees “ensure ethical research conduct, develop robust methodologies, and foster a diverse, global network of researchers. Each committee’s work is pivotal in advancing our understanding of the information environment, contributing to a healthier digital world and resilient institutions”.
The IPIE has representation in several African countries, including South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya and is actively recruiting affiliates who will take part in various research initiatives. Said Dr Uzuegbunam in an invitation for potential affiliates to apply: “The IPIE, which is modelled on what the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has done for climate change, works to elevate high-quality, policy-relevant research on algorithmic bias, manipulation and misinformation for the world’s policymakers. The IPIE invites scholars and researchers to apply to become affiliates of the IPIE to be part of a thriving global community of experts. There are opportunities to exchange knowledge, potentially contribute to the production of IPIE’s reports, and play a role in shaping the panel’s research agenda.”
Click here for more information and here to apply.
This Article was originally published by Enoch Sithole in the Ajen newletter