UAV Students Engage in Debate on Disinformation

Over 300 students gathered on Friday at noon for the debate titled “Disinformation and Artificial Intelligence – The EU’s Role in Combating This Phenomenon”, organized by the European Parliament Liaison Office in Romania in collaboration with “Aurel Vlaicu” University of Arad. The event took place in the university's festive hall in Complex M.

Moderated by Matei Vrabie, Program Manager at Funky Citizens, the debate featured guest speakers such as Assoc. Prof. Dr. Teodor Florin Cilan – Rector of UAV, Răzvan Szabo – from the European Parliament Liaison Office in Romania, Nicolae Barna – Member of the European Parliament, Renew Europe Group, and Gheorghe Falcă – Member of the European Parliament, European People’s Party Group. The discussion emphasized that disinformation affects everyone and highlighted the importance of learning how to combat it.

Initially scheduled to attend, MEP Nicolae Ștefănuță, Vice-President of the European Parliament (Greens/EFA), was unable to participate due to health reasons. He addressed his absence via social media and promised to organize a future meeting with UAV students.

Students were encouraged to develop critical thinking and maintain a skeptical attitude toward viral online content. As digital natives, they are in a strong position to quickly understand the mechanics and dangers of disinformation and to adapt effectively to both digital environments and artificial intelligence.

“We all fall victim to disinformation at some point. Always verify information, be critical of what you see online, check and double-check your sources—that’s the path to real information,” was among the key pieces of advice shared with students during the event.

Speakers underscored how false news spreads faster than real news, often affecting every layer of society. There was also significant focus on AI’s dual role—both as a tool for progress and a vector for spreading fake news. During the Q&A session, students raised an insightful question: shouldn’t AI be more widely used to counter disinformation, not just to generate it?

The debate also touched on adapting to new information channels, the leading sources of news today. Discussions emerged around whether people should be left to face disinformation on their own, or if stricter regulations should be introduced—and how far such regulations should go.

“We had an extremely valuable debate with representatives of the European Parliament on disinformation and artificial intelligence—two of today’s hottest topics. The large number of students present speaks volumes about the importance and relevance of these issues. Events like this are crucial, as our students need to stay informed about what is happening around them. They must understand that while AI can create great value, it can also generate problems. And they must know how to identify and combat the rapid spread of fake news. Given the success of this event and the students’ excellent questions and engagement, we are seriously considering organizing more such debates in the future,” said Rector Teodor Cilan at the end of the session.

The debate is part of the "UniPE – The European Parliament in Dialogue with Students" program, organized by the European Parliament Liaison Office with support from UAV.