New Publication: Building a GenAI Socratic Chatbot for Critical Thinking

We are pleased to announce that our cross-consortium chapter, 'Building a GenAI Socratic Chatbot for Critical Thinking: Insights From Cross-Cultural Cocreation, Living Labs and Pilots,' has been published in the new IGI Global volume Modern Media Literacy: Generative AI, Social Media, and the News (9798337308722).

Modern Media Literacy Book Cover

Disinformation is one of the most pressing challenges of our time, eroding trust, polarizing societies, and undermining democratic values. Traditional fact-checking methods are important but often limited in scale and impact. Our work explores a different path: using generative AI to foster critical thinking and media literacy through interactive dialogue.

Drawing on our Horizon Europe project work the chapter:

• Conceptualizes a Socratic chatbot powered by generative AI, designed to strengthen users’ critical thinking skills by posing probing questions rather than providing ready-made answers.

• Shares insights from cocreation workshops, living labs, and pilot testing with diverse communities:

  • Higher education students in Flanders

  • NGOs in Bulgaria

  • Migrant communities in Italy

• Reflects on both the potential and limitations of such AI-driven tools. While structured learning settings showed promise, we also found that many users preferred direct answers over reflective questioning—a key design and engagement challenge for future development.

• Provides practical takeaways for educators, policymakers, and technologists seeking to integrate AI into media literacy and disinformation resilience strategies.

Generative AI can’t replace critical thinking, but it can act as a Socratic partner helping users practice questioning techniques, recognize manipulative tactics (such as conspiracy framing, polarization, and emotional manipulation), and build resilience in today’s complex information ecosystem.

The chapter appears in Modern Media Literacy: Generative AI, Social Media, and the News (IGI Global, 2026).👉 Modern Media Literacy: Generative AI, Social Media, and the News: 9798337308722: Media & Communications Books | IGI Global Scientific Publishing

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