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NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

Canadian Science Communicators’ Realities and New Ethical Frontiers

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26

TJ. Lavender | 20.02.26

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THE MOMENT WE’RE IN

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

  • AI adoption is accelerating

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  • Science communication is already affected

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  • The landscape is changing every day

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WHAT IS GENERATIVE AI?

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

A subset of artificial intelligence that uses machine-learning models to learn patterns from existing data and then produce new, synthetic content—such as text, images, audio, video, or code—in response to user inputs.

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HOW WE GOT HERE

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

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WHY IT MATTERS

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

  • Communicators are being asked to do more with less.

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  • Generative AI is a powerful tool that can help us in our work.

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  • The stakes are high: trust in science is at an all- time low.

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OOPS!

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

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ABOUT THE SWCC

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

  • Founded in 1970

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  • 56 years of advocating for science communication and communicators

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  • Represents 200+ journalists, editors, communicators, educators from across Canada

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THE SURVEY

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

  • Goal: Understand real-world adoption, motivations, barriers, and concerns

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  • Methodology: Online non-random, survey with mix of quantitative and qualitative questions

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KEY QUESTIONS

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

  • Do Canadian science communicators use AI?
  • How do they feel about AI?
  • What are the ethics of using AI in science communication?
  • How can we help them navigate the AI waters?

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THE RESULTS

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

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CURRENT USE

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

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FUTURE USE

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

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WHY MEMBERS USE AI

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

Increased productivity

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Enhanced creativity

Cost-effective Improved clarity Accessibility

Other

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HOW THEY USE IT

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

Summarizing/paraphrasing

Generating ideas Writing/Editing content Translating content

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Do not use

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Creating images/visual aids

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Other

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WHY THEY DON’T

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

AI-induced errors

Ethical concerns Copyright, intellectual property

Loss of authenticity Overreliance on AI Job displacement

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Other

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MEMBERS SOUND OFF

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

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PRO

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

“I’m optimistic that AI can be used to expand HI (human intelligence) in ethical and sustainable ways. And for AI to be ethical, we would benefit if all walks of life participated to understand the technology and express constructive feedback— iteratively. That’s why I opt in to curiously learn about and use AI.”

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“It is a new technology that improves the efficiency of my work. I feel if I don't use it I won't be able to accomplish as much and will lose my competitive edge.”

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ANTI

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

“Its existence is offensive and demeans the craft I have honed. Its environmental cost is inexcusable. Its data-mining backend is dystopian.”

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“If you use generative AI, you are effectively helping to compete yourself out of a job. You are actively contributing to the problem. If AI does it better than you, then what purpose do you have in your current role?”

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ANTI

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

“The use of generative AI, specifically for writing is unethical, and in a better world, would be unambiguously illegal.”

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“The trainers of programs like ChatGPT are riding on the backs of all the writers and artists whose work they have used with neither attribution nor compensation. As far as I am concerned, they are criminals, and anyone using LLMs to generate text is an accessory.”

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ANTI

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

“GenAI is trained on stolen copyright material and I will not participate in theft.”

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“Using GenAI consumes massive amounts of electricity and water, and I will not contribute to environmental degradation.”

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“GenAI is biased to past writings, so the output is racist and ableist.”

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OUR RESPONSE

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

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GUIDELINES

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

  • Purpose: Support responsible, transparent, equitable use of AI
  • Based on survey findings, member feedback, and best practices

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FIVE CORE PRINCIPLES

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

  • Responsibility
  • Transparency
  • Human expertise
  • Equity & access
  • Continuous learning

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WHEN TO USE

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

  • Summarization
  • Brainstorming
  • Translation
  • Accessibility

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AVOID OR LIMIT

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

  • Fact-critical claims
  • Sensitive topics
  • Original research synthesis

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ALWAYS

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

  • Be transparent about using AI
  • Check for accuracy, fairness and completeness
  • Err on the side of caution

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TORONTO STAR GUIDELINES

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

People-Powered Journalism, Not Machine-Powered

  • All original journalism authored by humans
  • AI cannot be primary source for facts
  • Human verification of all AI-generated information required
  • Clear labeling when AI substantially used in content creation
  • No AI-generated images depicting human likenesses ("deepfakes")

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Where The Star Uses AI Responsibly

  • Research, transcription, translation
  • Summarization and image descriptions for accessibility

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Bottom Line: AI supports journalism but does not replace it. Transparency, human oversight, and accuracy are non-negotiable.

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MEMBER MEETUP

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

  • Technology evolves faster than policy can keep up

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  • AI literacy is essential – Members need training to spot errors and maintain expertise

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  • Plagiarism and IP risks – AI-generated content may contain others' work without attribution

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  • Public vs. private interest – Science communicators must help audiences understand whose interests AI serves

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A FINAL THOUGHT

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

“As AI tools increasingly shape how information is created and shared, science communicators have a unique responsibility — and opportunity

  • to model ethical, transparent, and inclusive practices.

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“While AI offers new possibilities for efficiency and creativity, it also presents challenges, including the risk of displacing human writers and communicators...

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“As the industry adapts, it is crucial to ensure that AI complements human expertise rather than replaces it, safeguarding the diversity, depth, and integrity of science communication.”

  • SWCC Ethical Guidelines for the Use of Generative AI in Science Communication

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TO FIND OUT MORE

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

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THANK YOU

tjl@terrylavender.ca

Terrance J. Lavender, PhD

Science Writers and Communicators of Canada sciencewriters.ca

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26

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QUESTIONS?

NAVIGATING GENERATIVE AI

RE:SCICOMM ‘26 | 20.02.26