Science communication: Promoting innovation or a lever for public debate?
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Sarah Dégallier Rochat | Bern University of Applied Sciences
Discussions about innovation – and, in particular, artificial intelligence – often prioritise spectacuralisation – viral videos, provocative predictions, staged demonstrations – at the expense of rigorous and contextualised information. This strategy blurs the lines between scientific facts, commercial promotion and speculation, thereby calling into question the fundamental role of science communication.
At a time when technological trends are redefining the use of natural resources, the future of work and the balance of democracies, science communication cannot shirk its responsibilities. Only an informed discourse, based on a critical analysis of technological promises and the political, economic and social power dynamics underpinning them, will enable public trust to be restored and the democratic debate to be placed at the heart of scientific decision-making.
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Sarah Dégallier Rochat
Sarah Dégallier Rochat is Head of Humane Digital Transformation at Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH). Her research focuses both on the design of human–machine interactions that promote skills development — notably through the start-up Auto-Mate Robotics — and on the critical analysis of technological narratives that shape our collective imaginations and influence public and economic decisions. She regularly organises conferences, workshops and talks aimed at both businesses and the general public, with a view to promoting a critical and informed dialogue on the social, cultural and democratic impacts of digital technologies.
