Dr Felix M. Simon
Research Fellow in AI, Information, and News, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism; Research Associate, Oxford Internet Institute; Junior Research Fellow in Politics, Corpus Christi College
Dr Felix M. Simon is an expert in the intersection of artificial intelligence, information and political communication. He investigates the structural implications of AI technologies, including generative AI, on the production, distribution and consumption of information within society – with a particular view towards broader digital era challenges, such as the future of misinformation, epistemic security and the transforming landscape of 21st-century news and journalism.
About
Dr Felix M. Simon is the Research Fellow in AI, Information, and News at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, a Research Associate at the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), and a Junior Research Fellow in Politics at Corpus Christi College.
His empirical and conceptual research broadly looks at the effects of a changing information and news environment for democratic discourse and the functioning of democracy. Since 2019, his work has focused on various aspects of AI in news, information and the public sphere, with a special emphasis on AI’s use and reception among the public as well as platforms and the news, the shifting power dynamics between the news and the technology sector and AI’s role in questions of epistemic security, especially around misinformation and democracy. Lately, his work has branched out into questions of AI safety with a focus on understanding the capabilities and impacts of advanced AI on how people get information, including about politics, and how this shapes democratic life.
Dr Simon has published and presented widely in top-tier academic journals and conferences. His research and commentary have appeared, among others, in The New York Times, The Guardian, Politico, and the Financial Times. He regularly writes and comments on technology, media and politics for various international outlets, including as a monthly columnist for Nikkei, and frequently advises media organisations, tech companies and other businesses on AI. In May 2023, he was awarded the Hans Bausch Media Prize by German public broadcaster SWR and the University of Tübingen for his work on AI, news and technological dependency.
He holds a DPhil in Communication from the University of Oxford’s Internet Institute (with distinction), an MSc in Social Science of the Internet from the OII, and a BA in Film and Media Studies from Goethe-University Frankfurt. He is a Faculty Associate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Public Tech Media Lab and affiliated with Columbia University’s Tow Centre for Digital Journalism. He is a fellow at the Salzburg Global Seminar, an Associate Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy and sits on the Advisory Committee of the Centre for News, Technology & Innovation.
Expertise
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Generative AI
- AI and Democracy
- AI and information
- AI and news
- Political Economy of AI and News
- News
- Journalism
- Misinformation
- AI safety, with a focus on epistemic security
- Information ecosystem
- Platforms
Media experience
Dr Felix M. Simon's research and commentary has appeared in media outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, Politico, and the Financial Times. He regularly writes and comments on technology, media and politics for various international outlets, including as a monthly columnist for Nikkei, and frequently advises media organisations on AI. In May 2023, he was awarded the Hans Bausch Media Prize by German public broadcaster SWR and the University of Tübingen for his work on AI, news and technological dependency.