Prof. Sylvia Ilieva, Director of the GATE Institute, stated that disinformation should be viewed not as a sudden crisis, but rather as a continuous and evolving process. Speaking at the closing event of DisInfoHack 2026 at Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski, Ilieva emphasized that the core objective of the CoDE project was to establish a sustainable network and ecosystem for countering misinformation.
She noted that this ambitious goal has become a tangible outcome through the collaborative efforts of all project partners. Ilieva pointed out that contemporary disinformation has expanded beyond textual content to include images, videos, and material generated by artificial intelligence, which significantly accelerates its dissemination and complicates mitigation efforts. She highlighted that initiatives such as DisInfoHack are vital for developing a sustainable counter-strategy.
Within this framework, participants engage with real-world case studies, analyze complex issues, and collaborate with specialists from diverse sectors, including journalism, technology, and academic institutions. Ilieva stressed that this cross-sectoral interaction is fundamental to creating a robust ecosystem of knowledge and practical skills necessary for effective countermeasures. DisInfoHack itself is an initiative under the three-year CoDE project, which aims to strengthen information resilience in Bulgaria through scientific analysis.
The project seeks to research the national information environment and compile best practices and tools for countering disinformation effectively. Ilieva concluded by expressing optimism for the continued development of the initiative to engage an increasing number of participants annually.
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