Mike S. Schäfer is a professor in the Department of Communication and Media Research Science Communication at the University of Zurich, Switzerland.

Generative AI is rapidly changing how science is perceived and communicated, raising new opportunities and challenges for researchers, communicators, and the public. This talk offers a research-based overview from the perspective of communication science, synthesizing what we know so far about science communication in the context of AI.

Drawing on recent empirical work from social and behavioral science, it examines how generative AI is being used by individual scientists, institutions, and science journalists; how it shapes content and public engagement; and how structural divides—between users, organizations, and countries—affect its impact.

The focus is on mapping current knowledge: where findings are robust, where gaps remain, and what this means for science communication practice and research going forward.