Dr Joe Whittaker, Senior Lecturer in Cyber Threats at Swansea University, is part of a new international research project funded by Horizon Europe that will investigate how hidden hate speech spreads through social media and AI technologies, while developing innovative tools and strategies to counter it.
Over the next three years, PROCLAIM (short for Polarization, Radicalization and Extremism Online: Identifying Covert Hate Speech in State-of-the-Art Artificial Intelligence Technologies and Social Media) will bring together ten European research institutions and civil society organisations. Together, they will develop new AI-powered detection tools, evidence-based inoculation strategies, and educational programmes reaching thousands of young people, helping ensure that hidden hate speech has fewer places to hide.
A growing form of hate speech hides behind seemingly neutral language, irony, or coded expressions. Unlike more overt forms of hate speech, it can be far more difficult to detect and regulate, while still contributing to polarisation, radicalisation, and democratic erosion. Rapid developments in artificial intelligence and large language models have further accelerated the spread and sophistication of this harmful content online.
PROCLAIM will develop a foundational theoretical framework for understanding hate speech, capable of identifying multilingual and multimodal forms of hate speech across online platforms and AI systems. The project will also explore safeguards for Large Language Models (LLMs) and contribute to future European policy frameworks on AI governance, platform accountability, and digital democracy.
Alongside its technological and policy work, PROCLAIM places a strong emphasis on public engagement and prevention. Through awareness campaigns and educational programmes, the initiative aims to strengthen resilience against online manipulation and extremist messaging, particularly among young people.
Dr Whittaker said: “I’m delighted to be part of the PROCLAIM project. Extremists are using sophisticated measures – including adapting their language – to ensure that their messages spread far and wide on social media. Swansea University will be responsible for devising and evaluating ‘inoculation’ counter-messages which seek to help audiences identify and reject such extremist speech. We hope that this will help young people to navigate online spaces more safely.”