Opportunities and challenges
Crises now unfold in a world of algorithms, social media, and instant information. Artificial intelligence brings new opportunities and risks for institutions; new tools, but also threats, such as disinformation and deep fakes, that they must be ready to counter.
This challenge shapes a partnership that began with a training on policy communication at the Florence School of Transnational Governance (Florence STG) at the European University Institute (EUI). It grew into a workshop for European Stability Mechanism (ESM) staff in April 2024, an executive training in Luxembourg in December 2024, a first Handbook on Crisis Communication for Public Institutions, and a conference in Florence on 28 November 2025.
As Jakov Bojović, Scientific Coordinator at the Florence STG, said, "AI is already fundamentally changing communication practices, as well as the overall information landscape, presenting both opportunities and serious threats in crisis settings." A new handbook on AI responds to this reality, examining both sides: using AI in crisis communication and communicating when AI shapes the crisis.
Leading voices, one workshop
From 5 to 6 November 2026, the ESM hosted the EUI-ESM Crisis Communication Workshop, 'When Crisis Meets AI: Communicating Under Pressure in the Age of Algorithms', in Luxembourg. More than 40 professionals took part in the closed-door event opened by ESM Managing Director Pierre Gramegna and closed by Secretary General Nicola Giammarioli.
The speakers work on the front line of information. "This is a very timely topic because AI is creating a new and challenging environment for those managing crises for any type of organisation", suggested Timothy Coombs of the Centre for Crisis & Risk Communications, tracing how crises moved from traditional media cycles to a world shaped by algorithms and AI. Claire Craanen, speechwriter for NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, further examined possible solutions to this new context: "in a more complex information space, clear coherent, and credible communication is part of NATO’s response to crises."
Olha Izhyk of the WHO Regional Office for Europe added the public health perspective, applying lessons learnt from the pandemic in risk communication and infodemic management, while EUI Chair of International Political Economy George Papaconstantinou, further discussed an open question drawing on his experience of the Greek crisis: "What kind of financial crises should we expect in the AI era?"
The day concluded with a panel with Tina Hunstein-Glasl, Susan Carroll, and Paul Gordon on AI and social media in crisis communication and a conversation with Claire Boine on AI companions and the Hugging Face incident.
The Handbook: linking policy practice and academic research
The discussions fed directly into the new handbook. Participants tested its draft key findings and identified principles for using AI and for responding to its threats while safeguarding public trust. The publication is a practice-oriented resource grounded in research on organisational AI applications and a targeted review of recent academic and practitioner literature.
The handbook also includes the results of a survey of communications professionals working across a diverse range of financial and crisis management organisations. Their responses provide further insights into concerns about the use of AI, how frequently it is used, particularly during crises, and what these professionals expect from its future application in crisis communication.
Juliana Dahl, ESM Principal Speechwriter and Spokesperson, concluded: "With the European University Institute, we brought practitioners together to exchange experiences, explore real-world scenarios, and strengthen our ability to communicate clearly when it matters most."
The new handbook was finalised in September and will be published in January 2027, followed by an official presentation by both institutions in Florence in February 2027.
Photography by: Peter Lindmark