Free subscriptions to newspapers, an agency for artificial intelligence or cryptocurrency regulation. What do the two parties propose for journalism, science and technology?

After the Global Media Group crisis, all parties heard proposals to solve the problem. But were their concerns at that time reflected in the electoral programs?

In the field of science and technology, everyone supports increased investment. The size of the propositions for these domains is larger on the left, while the word “science” appears zero times in the Chiga propositions domain. The bloc and the National Action Party did not mention the term “artificial intelligence” once.

Losa free for all. And more?

With the exception of Chiga, all parties support greater transparency on the issue of media ownership. In this sense, the Socialist Party wants other regulators to take action such as the Bank of Portugal, the CMVM and the Competition Authority.

The Socialists, CDU, Livre and Blokko want the state to take the majority position in Lusa, while the Socialist Party added that it wants it to be made freely available to the media.

In the area of ​​taxation, PAN intends to create a provision in the IRS tax deduction allowing the costs of newspapers and magazines to be deducted up to €250. AD will “evaluate” the creation of a similar proposal, but without details and IL joins this action, but also without concrete values. BE wants to abolish VAT on business subscriptions.

PS, Livre and BE want to allocate a press check to go to media subscriptions.

Regarding the local press, Pedro Nuno Santos proposes providing support for the distribution of periodicals in the interior of the country. Andre Ventura and Luis Montenegro took similar action. But it has not been specified in any way how this support will be provided.

In response to these actions, the Democratic Alliance wants to review the Press Law to correct its “anachronism” or encourage the creation of fact-checking platforms that can verify the veracity of information circulating on social networks and digital media. Chiga intends to create training programs for journalists, focusing more on digital skills, investigative journalism and reporting. IL intends to privatize RTP and BE to impose a tax on the digital giants, known as the “Google tax”, to fund journalism.

In short, neither party has presented a broad and systematic proposal for the media sector, despite the many concerns and commitments announced during the general difficulties faced by the global media group.

Who ignores science?

AD, PS, Livre and Bloco want to increase investment in science to 3% of GDP by 2030 (it was 1.7% in 2022 and the European average is 2.2%) and improve the transparency and performance of the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). . The word science appears zero times in Chiga's proposals. The Liberal Initiative proposes to eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy in scientific research and promote investment in research, especially in the FCT.

PS proposes to implement annual scientific recruitment programs and register 1,000 positions for full-time researchers in higher education institutions. The bloc wants an increase in equivalent investment, but without a substantive date, a review of the research profession, a change in the FCT's operating model, a 14-month employment contract for scientific research fellows, with the right to unemployment benefits and other workers' rights.

The Communist Party of the Philippines wants to double spending on science, strengthen the network of research centers that integrate polytechnic institutes, reorganize the state's laboratory systems, defend the contract between the FCT and Ciência Viva or strengthen the research profession. PAN also wants to replace research grants with employment contracts and guarantee a career as a researcher.

Livre, like others, aims to increase the aforementioned funding (with 50% funded by the state and 50% by private companies), a review of the status of researchers and a new governance model for the FCT. Ruy Tavares' party also proposes creating the profession of science director, integrating it into the statute of scientific professions, financing the permanent employment of researchers, creating an office to support activity in the Council of the Republic, and investing in scientific literacy and democratization. Scientific production.

Question on artificial intelligence

In the field of technology, artificial intelligence dominates part of the programs of some parties. In some, the proposals are rare and ambiguous with the question of science; In other cases, such as BE or PAN, there is no reference to AI.

On the left, LEVER was the first to introduce a national agency for the study and implementation of artificial intelligence, with the aim of encouraging research in this field and its implementation in the public and private sectors. At the same time, it wants to have a body that regulates its development, so that it complies with European guidelines, which were introduced a few months ago.

The CDU, in turn, wants to limit the use of artificial intelligence technology, when it directly affects the lives of the Portuguese people, such as granting social support or access to work, and in cases where technology is used, its use must be marked. It also proposes to put the benefits resulting from technological progress in improving the living conditions of workers and people, combating private appropriation of the gains obtained and ensuring that autonomous systems are banned from military applications.

BE looks at other branches of technology, such as cryptographic elements. Therefore, he wants greater regulation and taxation of the sector, which includes Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency transactions, and the creation of a reporting system to record all transactions and amounts held by citizens. In schools, he wants to implement healthy use of technology and limit the use of mobile phones.

The Socialist Party proposes implementing the 2023 Digital Strategy for Data and Artificial Intelligence, published in 2019, as well as promoting projects with this technology in public sectors, as is already happening in the justice sector, for example. PAN's proposals regarding technology converge with those of science.

On the right, the declaration proposes – in addition to its desire to apply technology in state sectors – to invest in the qualification of the Portuguese people in technological and digital skills, to prepare the workforce for the artificial intelligence revolution, and to invest in this technology to increase transparency and reduce bureaucracy.

Chega is focusing a large part of its technology program on “blockchain” – which aims for decentralization as a key security focus. He wants to study the possibility of using it to reduce bureaucracy and proposes investing in technology education from primary school onwards, with courses in digital economics, cybersecurity or blockchain. The IL Institute believes that Portugal should capitalize on its economic growth through emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence or “blockchain”, and advocates resistance to the use of video surveillance in public places and the introduction of basic education for security and privacy in the digital age, in the field of information and communications. Technologies (ICT) and categories of citizenship.