The Lawfare Against Journalism project is receiving institutional support from the Young AI Leaders Lausanne Hub, a local chapter of the Young AI Leaders Community, an initiative developed under the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) AI for Good platform. This collaboration strengthens the project’s international dimension by contributing applied artificial intelligence expertise to its research activities, while also highlighting the growing relevance of journalism safety, freedom of expression, and access to information within broader discussions on technology, democracy, and sustainable development.
AI for Good was established by the ITU, the United Nations agency for digital technologies, to advance the use of artificial intelligence in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through its global network of Young AI Leaders hubs, the initiative supports youth-led projects that promote responsible innovation, ethical AI development, and social impact. The Young AI Leaders Community currently brings together hubs and members from dozens of countries, fostering international collaboration around AI-related challenges and opportunities.
The support from the Lausanne Hub emerges from a shared commitment to addressing democratic challenges in increasingly digital and platformised societies. The Lawfare Against Journalism project investigates the use of legal mechanisms, strategic litigation, and judicial harassment as tools to silence journalists, news organisations, and public-interest reporting. By documenting and analysing these practices globally, the project seeks to help protect press freedom and strengthen democratic institutions.
The collaboration is particularly relevant in light of Sustainable Development Goal 16, which promotes peaceful, just, and inclusive societies and explicitly highlights the importance of ensuring public access to information and protecting fundamental freedoms. The project’s objectives directly intersect with these priorities by examining contemporary threats to journalism and the public’s right to information.
As part of the Young AI Leaders Community, the Lausanne Hub develops and supports initiatives that explore how emerging technologies can help address global challenges through local and international action. The collaboration with the Lawfare Against Journalism project reflects a conviction in a multidisciplinary approach, in which artificial intelligence techniques for media analysis, together with the expertise of journalists and media scholars, can help achieve a better-informed society.
Beyond technical support by the Hub Leader of Lausanne Hub David Alonso del Barrio, the collaboration also creates opportunities for future dissemination and public engagement. Research outputs emerging from the project may be shared through AI for Good and Young AI Leaders communication channels, helping connect discussions on journalism safety and lawfare to broader international conversations about technology, governance, and sustainable development. With a global network of hubs and a large international audience, the initiative provides an important platform for amplifying research and fostering interdisciplinary dialogue on these issues.
More information about the Lawfare Against Journalism project is available at Lawfare Against Journalism Project.
Further information about the Young AI Leaders Community and the Lausanne Hub can be found at AI for Good – Young AI Leaders Community and Young AI Leaders- Lausanne Hub.
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Generative AI tools were used during the drafting and editing process of this news piece to support text organisation, language refinement, and stylistic revision. The author reviewed, edited, and verified all content, references, and factual information prior to publication and retains full responsibility for the final version.
