ESPOO, Finland — As digital manipulation grows increasingly sophisticated, Finland is intensifying efforts to equip its youth with the skills to navigate a world where artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes blur the line between reality and fiction. This initiative complements the country’s broader security measures amid heightened tensions with Russia and its recent membership in NATO.

Finland’s longstanding commitment to media literacy education, dating back to the Cold War, positions it ahead of many nations in confronting the challenges posed by AI-driven misinformation. Finnish schools have for decades taught students how to critically assess news and information, adapting curricula over time to address new media technologies. Now, educators are focusing on helping students identify AI-generated content designed to deceive.

“Understanding deepfakes has been part of our education even before the recent surge in AI developments,” said Olli Malankin, a senior at the Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Media Arts. “But as AI improves, recognizing truth becomes harder.”

Teachers employ interactive methods to illustrate the malleability of digital reality. Jaakko Maki, a primary school teacher near Helsinki, engages his 11-year-old students in exercises where they generate AI images of improbable scenarios, such as tigers flying planes or giraffes playing soccer, to demonstrate how easily facts can be distorted.

The Finnish government sees media and AI literacy as integral to national security and democratic resilience. With Russia’s increasing use of hybrid warfare tactics—including cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns—education in critical thinking is viewed as a frontline defense against attempts to destabilize societies through fake news and fabricated digital content.

In 2024, U.S. intelligence agencies linked Russia to AI-generated videos falsely alleging voting irregularities and to efforts to undermine political figures in countries like Armenia and Moldova by spreading fake social media content. Finnish experts emphasize, however, that the country’s media literacy initiatives are primarily about fostering independent critical analysis rather than solely countering external propaganda.

“We aim to empower students with critical thinking skills that serve democratic participation,” said Mikko Salo, head of Faktabaari, a Finnish digital verification organization. Finland’s Education Minister, Anders Adlercreutz, described media literacy as a fundamental democratic competency essential for citizens navigating today’s complex information environment.

Innovative teaching tools like a Tinder-style swiping quiz help students quickly discern the authenticity of images, highlighting how advancements in AI can make distinguishing real from fake increasingly challenging. “The point is not to identify every deepfake, but to develop critical thinking so that students recognize they can’t always trust what they see,” explained Aki Saariaho, a teacher and Faktabaari advisor.

Despite Finland’s high level of preparedness, the evolving nature of AI-driven disinformation presents ongoing challenges. Still, analysts view Finland as a comparatively resilient target due to its well-established education programs and societal skepticism toward misinformation.

Among students, awareness is growing. Sixteen-year-old Annabelle Maijala recounted being fooled by a convincing deepfake video of bunnies on a trampoline, an experience she found both surprising and educational. Her classmate, Sonja Alanko, 17, noted how lessons in fake news and media literacy inform her scrutiny of social media content, helping her develop greater confidence in evaluating information.

As Finland continues to refine its approach, officials hope the combination of critical thinking education and societal vigilance will strengthen democratic institutions and make the Finnish population more resistant to the influence of deceptive AI-generated content.