Media giants launch EU-backed chatbot to fight disinformation
A group of major European media organisations has launched a chatbot aimed at combating online disinformation.
The tool, called ChatEurope, responds to queries with information verified by journalists. It was set up by a consortium of media brands led by Agence France-Presse. Fourteen other news organisations, including France Médias Monde, Deutsche Welle, El País, and Romania’s RFI, have supported the project, which is also backed by the European Commission.
The chatbot was designed by DRUID AI, a Romanian enterprise AI platform, and uses a language model developed by French startup Mistral. It’s hosted on infrastructure built by Paris-based open-source software provider XWiki.
Andreea Pleșea, co-founder and CEO of DRUID AI, said the tool enables “natural, human-like conversations” that help people access credible information in their own language.
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The tool works a bit like ChatGPT, but for verifiable news. You ask it a question — for instance, about EU climate rules or the geopolitical situation in Ukraine — and the chatbot replies with a clear answer backed by respected news sources.
ChatEurope’s answers draw on thousands of articles produced by the 15 consortium members, providing answers with full source citations. The responses cover topics including EU policy, climate, tech regulation, and geopolitics.
ChatEurope is available in seven languages: English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Romanian, and Spanish. It’s designed to counter the growing trend of people following unverified and fake news on platforms such as X, TikTok, and Telegram.
Over 40% of Europeans under 30 years old use social media as their primary news source, according to the latest European Parliament Youth Survey. However, disinformation on these platforms is widespread, which risks eroding trust in credible journalism, disrupting elections, and even inciting violence.
“Media urgently need to adapt in the face of pervasive disinformation and the advent of artificial intelligence,” said Christine Buhagiar, AFP’s director of development and diversification. “ChatEurope will be a game-changer when it comes to information on European affairs.”
The chatbot is aimed at a wide audience, from students to policymakers. Despite being backed by the EU, the creators say the tool offers full editorial independence and avoids algorithmic bias.
