New Cohort of Fellows to Research the Political Economy Behind AI

Our nine new fellows, mostly working in teams, come from a variety of countries, including Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Romania, Netherlands, Italy, and Spain. Their investigations will cover environmental costs and local conflicts tied to data center construction, data extractivism practices that infringe on individual rights, the development and use of AI by military organizations, and the application of AI tools by far-right groups and political figures.

Since the the fellowship's launch in 2022, 17 researchers from diverse disciplines were supported in examining the social impact of automation. With the surge of generative AI, it has become more pressing to scrutinize the foundations of large automated models and the rights violations that occur along their production and supply chains.

The Algorithmic Accountability Reporting fellowship lasts six months and provides financial support, mentorship sessions with AlgorithmWatch’s team members and relevant researchers from civil society organizations, as well as the chance to participate in a renowned European tech conference at the end of the program.

We warmly welcome the fourth cohort of AlgorithmWatch fellows:

Raluca Besliu

Raluca Besliu is an independent Romanian journalist who lived and worked in West Africa, Germany, and the United States. She has published more than 600 articles on topics ranging from environmental and political affairs in Eastern Europe to human rights abuses in African countries, and has been featured in esteemed publications, such as The New York Times and Euronews. In 2024, she worked on an investigation into the use of synthetic media ahead of the European Parliament elections. Published in a two-part series in Il Manifesto, the research revealed the psychological and social effects of deepfakes, particularly on female politicians. She also contributed to fostering AI-related knowledge exchange and skills development within the journalistic community of the Bosch Alumni Network (BAN), a community of social changemakers supported by the Bosch Foundation.

Adrienne Fichter

Adrienne is a investigative tech reporter for the Swiss magazin Republik.ch and the technology journalism blog dnip.ch that she co-founded and runs as editor in chief. She covers the topics digital ethics, privacy, big tech, cybersecurity, and AI, with focus on the intersection between democracy and technology. She completed a master's degree in political science, economic and social history, and constitutional law at the University of Zurich in 2009. From 2012 to 2014, she worked as a social media editor at the credit agency Orell Füssli Wirtschaftsinformationen (now CRIF AG), and from 2014 to 2016 as a social media editorial manager at the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ). She also is the author of “Smartphone-Demokratie” (“Smartphone Democracy”).

Laura Galaup

Laura Galaup is a reporter with experience in investigative, political, and social journalism. Articles of hers were awarded with the Madrid Press Association Award and nominated for the Gabriel García Márquez Award. As a fellow in the 2024 Disarming Disinformation program at the International Center for Journalists, she investigated a prominent far-right disinformation agitator in Spain. After a year in New York, she currently lives in Madrid and works as a staff member at elDiario.es. She also contributes to outlets such as Univision, Cadena Ser, and La Marea. During her fellowship, Laura will examine how far-right organizations use AI to disseminate conspiracy theories and hate speech.

Marguerite Meyer

Marguerite Meyer is a freelance investigative journalist based in Switzerland. She has a background in history and political science, and works for international outlets on topics at the intersection of politics, finance, security, and defense, such as human rights and migration. She has investigated the military affiliations of the Swiss drone industry, human trafficking, and financial loopholes. Marguerite is a board member at the Swiss social enterprise and street paper Surprise, a member of the media diversity organisation NCHM*, and a FOIA association team member. She also is a 2024 European Collaborative Journalism Programme Fellow. Her motto is: people matter. During her AlgorithmWatch Fellowship, Marguerite will investigate the Swiss military-industrial AI complex.

Aniket Narawad

Aniket Narawad is an independent (data) journalist based in Berlin and Brussels, specializing in the intersection of technology regulation and the environmental impact of emerging technologies. He holds an engineering degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and a Master of Public Policy degree from the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin. Aniket has contributed to leading newsrooms such as Politico Europe, MLex Market Insight, and the German newswire DPA. His work was published in Al Jazeera, Thomson Reuters Context, and Clean Energy Wire, among others. Prior to his career in journalism, he worked as a data analyst in India's public policy sector. During his fellowship, Aniket will investigate on sustainability issues related to data centers in Germany and Europe.

Balz Oertli

Balz Oertli is a journalist with WAV Recherchekollektiv in Zurich, Switzerland. Formerly, he worked for the Swiss public broadcaster SRF. He focuses on the regulation of Big Tech in Switzerland. He frequently files Freedom of Information requests at all government levels and leads the multi-year project "das Geld+die Politik" (moneyinpolitics.ch) on financial transparency in Swiss politics.

Anna Toniolo

Anna Toniolo is an Italian freelance journalist and member of FADA Collective. Her work focuses on inequalities, gender issues, and climate conflicts. She analyzes how the online sphere impacts individuals and communities. Her articles were published in Italian and international media outlets, such as L'Espresso, LifeGate, Green European Journal, The Daily Dot, EUobserver, The New Arab, and others. She writes and hosts "Veramente," a weekly podcast that explores the connection between current events and disinformation, and has been the voice of several episodes of "News from Planet Earth," a current affairs podcast produced by LifeGate. Her work has been supported by Journalismfund Europe.

We respect the wish of two other fellows not to be featured with a biography.

The fellowship is sponsored by: