History Teaching in the Age of Artificial Intelligence at the Focus of Council of Europe Conference

The sixth annual conference, “Manipulating History – Undermining Democracy,” was held in Strasbourg, organized by the Council of Europe’s Observatory on History Teaching in Europe (OHTE). Panels, plenary discussions and workshops examined various aspects of the manipulation of history, with a particular focus on establishing and preserving factual accuracy, propaganda and the misuse of history, as well as new approaches to history teaching aimed at combating disinformation. Special attention was devoted to the falsification of history in the era of artificial intelligence (AI) and the challenges digital technologies pose to education. As part of the lecture “Dealing with the Artificial Historian: Disinformation in the Age of AI,” a debate was held between teams representing Generation Z and older generations. Secondary-school students from Strasbourg, as well as history and political science students from several European countries, added further dynamism to the proceedings. Their participation contributed to the exchange of different perspectives and opened up space for discussion about the importance of critically examining historical sources and recognizing disinformation in today’s digital environment.