Hype literacy: reporting on AI beyond the buzz

Journalism often amplifies hype, framing AI in metaphors of revolution, breakthrough, or even natural catastrophe. This can contribute to misguided decision-making and often feeds into political and economic power dynamics that are obscured by overpromising.
This session introduces Hype Literacy, a framework developed by the hype studies group supported by DW Akademie that helps journalists identify inflated claims, hidden assumptions, and misleading narratives in AI coverage. A core focus will also be on how to evaluate AI benchmarks and metrics. It will be shown that benchmarks are not neutral measurement tools at all, but narrative devices that construct stories of progress.
Drawing on examples from AI reporting in two African countries, the session presents evidence on how Western frames often shape coverage, leading to important topics being overlooked.
Moderated by Steffen Leidel.
Sponsored by DW Akademie.