EU Horizon Project POLINOCULATE – Psychological vaccination against disinformation using AI

Misinformation poses a particular threat at the political level. How can it be better identified? A team led by Prof. Dr Florian Töpfl is investigating this question as part of the EU Horizon Project POLINOCULATE.

Misinformation often spreads at breakneck speed on the internet, completely unnoticed – with serious consequences: it erodes citizens’ trust in democratic processes and public authorities, and contributes to the polarisation of societies. The World Economic Forum has also recognised this danger and, in 2024, classified misinformation as the greatest global risk for the coming years.

Disinformation at the political level is particularly dangerous: politicians often lack the tools to effectively identify and counteract disinformation. It is unclear how effective EU regulations in the digital sphere are.

This is precisely where the POLINOCULATE project comes in: “Political decision-makers are the first line of defence against disinformation,” explains Prof. Dr Florian Töpfl, holder of the Chair of Political Communication with a focus on Eastern Europe and the post-Soviet region at the University of Passau. “That is why it is crucial to strengthen their resilience.” Together with his team, he is participating in the EU Horizon project POLINOCULATE, which is coordinated by the University of Turku in Finland.

What the project aims to achieve

One of the main objectives of the Europe-wide research team is to develop a digital AI assistant for decision-makers: this “CounterCoach” is designed to train political decision-makers to recognise disinformation and to respond to it with clarity and credibility, even under pressure. “It is a kind of advanced communication training, without the need for expensive media coaching,” explains Prof. Dr Töpfl. National and EU politicians, civil servants and analysts are directly involved in the development.

What this will lead to

Further objectives of the project include the development of specific training materials for ministries and public authorities, as well as scientifically grounded policy recommendations designed to help the EU and its member states draft more effective legislation against disinformation.

The team led by the Passau-based communication scientist provides important geopolitical insights into how foreign actors and authoritarian regimes attempt to influence European discourse. For instance, researchers led by Prof. Dr Töpfl analysed Russia’s informational influence abroad as part of the ERC Consolidator Project RUSINFORM. In the Authoritarian AI project, funded by the Bavarian Research Institute for Digital Transformation (bidt), a team is investigating how authoritarian states manipulate AI models and adapt them to their propaganda.

The EU Horizon project POLINOCULATE aims to bridge the gap between research, policy and practice in order to equip Europe to withstand new information threats in the long term and make European democracy more resilient. It thus forms part of the ‘Resilient Democracies’ research profile at the University of Passau.

Project participants and coordination

The project is coordinated by the University of Turku in Finland. The University of Passau is involved as one of a total of four European partner universities. From the UK, the University of Sheffield and the University of Bristol are taking part, and from Hungary, Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. The non-governmental organisation GLOBSEC, based in Bratislava, Slovakia, is also involved in the project.

The European Commission is funding the three-year project through the HORIZON EUROPE programme (9th Framework Programme for Research) – Research and Innovation Actions – with a total of around €3.5 million for the entire consortium. The University of Passau will receive a grant of €410,475 from this funding. The non-parliamentary organisation GLOBSEC, headquartered in Slovakia, is also supporting the project. The project is due to start on September 1st, 2026.