Project description
A multimodal paradigm for argument mining
Argumentation occurs daily across numerous media platforms, extending beyond human-to-human interaction to include human–machine dialogues. While automated argumentation analysis ensures logical validity and fairness in debates, current systems struggle to handle implicit or incomplete arguments. Additionally, these systems have difficulty processing complex, multimodal interactions that combine both verbal and non-verbal cues. To address this, the ERC-funded PANDORA project aims to make multimodal argumentation in digital environments more understandable by introducing new computational techniques. To advance argument mining, it will leverage an unsupervised approach that models both explicit and latent aspects of human reasoning. By bridging verbal and non-verbal (visual, social) elements, this framework offers a new multimodal paradigm that breaks new ground in AI research.
Objective
Argumentation is carried out every day on multiple platforms and media, no longer exchanged only between humans, but also in human-machine dialogues. The computational analysis of argumentation is vital to ensure logical soundness and fairness in argument exchanges. The state of the art falls short of fulfilling these needs and does not offer a robust handling of incomplete and implicit arguments, and of multimodal argumentation involving verbal and nonverbal cues.
My project will solve this timely scientific and societal challenge by developing computational methods for making multimodal argumentation in digitally mediated human interactions more intelligible. Our key move is to go beyond the traditional supervised argument mining approach to analyse argumentation from text. To do so, we introduce a new foundation for argument mining based on unsupervised learning to capture both the explicit and the latent features of human argumentation. A new family of methods for the analysis of multimodal argumentation, to consider both verbal (text, audio) and nonverbal (image, video, social context) features, will empower this paradigm change, breaking new ground in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and beyond. The project will further define novel generative methods that reflect the latent properties of human argumentation and generate robust arguments to be put forward in human-machine interactions.
The benefits of this research are far-reaching. First, it will significantly strengthen AI-based argumentation analysis by automatically identifying fallacies and biases while improving fairness in argument generation. Second, argument-based digital mediation will enhance transparency in reaching consensus during deliberative democracy processes. By revealing underlying argumentation reasoning patterns and harnessing both verbal and nonverbal contexts, this research will revolutionize the ability to evaluate evidence and form reasoned judgments in crucial areas like politics and law
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
75794 PARIS
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.