HELSINKI — Finland is tackling fake news starting in preschool, integrating media literacy into its national curriculum from age 3. This education aims to bolster resilience against misinformation and propaganda, particularly from Russia. Following heightened Russian disinformation after the invasion of Ukraine and Finland’s NATO membership in 2023, schools are now incorporating AI literacy.
Teachers like Ville Vanhanen at Tapanila Primary School guide students to identify fake news and are now transitioning lessons to include recognizing AI-generated content. Finnish media supports this effort, with initiatives like “Newspaper Week” and the distribution of a new “ABC Book of Media Literacy” to all 15-year-olds.
Having prioritized media literacy since the 1990s, Finland ranks highly on the European Media Literacy Index. Education Minister Anders Adlercreutz notes the increasing challenge disinformation poses to democracy, emphasizing the urgency of equipping citizens, especially the youth, with skills to discern facts from misinformation. Experts warn that as AI technology advances, distinguishing between real and fake information will become increasingly difficult.
