At SomosSapiens, we explain how the correct use of Artificial Intelligence and generating social awareness in relation to the responsible use of new media and technologies are key elements for the detection of this type of content, helping to clarify a panorama full of doubts and confusion.
A world saturated with information… Or disinformation?
We live in an era where the creation and proliferation of fake news is constant, with AI being its great ally or its great enemy. Distinguishing what content is real and what is fake is becoming increasingly complicated. And it is that we live in a globalized world that, dominated by virality, loses the essence of truthfulness in the face of immediacy and the search for sensationalism or obtaining more interactions.
Spain, the sleuths in the detection of Fake News:
According to the study carried out by Ipsos to find out the public’s opinion on the impact of AI on the proliferation of Fake News, in Spain 8 out of 10 people agree with the fact that Artificial Intelligence makes it easier to create fake news and images, bringing greater confusion to the scene.
Unlike other countries in Europe, Spain is aware of the negative uses of Artificial Intelligence, being more cautious in even being able to distinguish real news from fake news. It is one of the most critical countries in this regard, behind Hungary. Being aware of both the pros and cons of Artificial Intelligence can be a beneficial tactic when detecting Fake News. From this point of view, Spanish users are more likely to contrast or use news that demonstrates real and truthful sources.
We can also observe in this study that 53% of the average of the world’s population considers that there are more lies and a greater tendentious use in current news and political events. In Spain, this percentage rises to 59% of the population, making it the second European country where this statement is most supported.
Artificial Intelligence: The great friend and enemy of the age of disinformation:
Like a vaccine, the same component of a virus is the solution to stopping it. Artificial Intelligence can be a very useful tool when it comes to battling fake news; moreover, tools have now been created to detect such “attacks” on information.
AI uses advanced natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning algorithms to analyze, verify, and compare content. They also provide cross-reference references with reliable databases and authoritative sources to validate presented facts.
Currently, there are several accessible tools for news verification. From a Chrome extension (The Factual) to a mobile app that offers fact-checking and image checking (Logically).
While it is true that Artificial Intelligence offers promising solutions, it is still facing very important challenges. One of the main ones is the detection of biases, working with more sophisticated algorithms and other hybrid approaches together with human verification to mitigate them.
However, it is important not to lose focus on the most important thing to detect Fake News: the human perspective. Embedding programs within the education system is essential to teach future generations to navigate more safely and critically within the media environment.
Digital literacy and our responsibility to educate future generations
We are the generation that is experiencing the birth of Artificial Intelligence, we are also experiencing the birth of new forms of communication; and, therefore, their shortcomings and errors. Thus, digital education that we can teach future generations through our experience and awareness is crucial to combat misinformation. Promote critical skills to evaluate the quality of the content they consume, in addition to recovering the basic concepts of information ethics, where we teach users to share verified information and the consequences of spreading false content.
At SomosSapiens, we are aware of our duty to know the uses of Artificial Intelligence as a tool in all possible scenarios within the field of communication. Learning from the tools of Artificial Intelligence together with human perspectives of great trajectory and experience allows us to cement verification methodologies which are so beneficial both for us and for the rest of the world.
Sources:
Ipsos: Fake news in the age of AI
