How we can protect truth in the age of misinformation | Sinan Aral

TED10 minutes read

False news spreads quickly and widely, especially in political contexts, with actors like the Associated Press, the Internet Research Agency, and synthetic media contributing to the dissemination of misinformation. Solutions to combat this issue include labeling information, altering incentives, regulation, transparency, and utilizing algorithms and machine learning.

Insights

  • False news spreads faster and wider than true news, especially in political contexts, despite being shared by accounts with fewer followers and less activity.
  • The rise of synthetic media, fueled by generative adversarial networks, poses a significant challenge in discerning reality, potentially worsening the spread of fake video and audio content, necessitating a multifaceted approach involving labeling, regulation, and ethical considerations to combat misinformation effectively.

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Recent questions

  • How did false news spread during the 2016 US presidential election?

    Through the Internet Research Agency, linked to the Kremlin.

  • What emotions does false news typically evoke in people?

    Surprise and disgust.

  • How do bots contribute to the spread of false news online?

    Bots accelerate the spread of false news.

  • What impact did a false tweet from the Associated Press have in 2013?

    Led to a $140 billion stock market crash.

  • What are some potential solutions to combat misinformation?

    Labeling information, altering incentives, regulation, transparency, algorithms, and machine learning.

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Summary

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"False News: Spread, Impact, and Solutions"

  • On April 23, 2013, a false tweet from the Associated Press about explosions at the White House and Barack Obama being injured went viral, leading to a $140 billion stock market crash.
  • Syrian hackers infiltrated the Associated Press Twitter handle to spread false news, aiming to disrupt society.
  • The Internet Research Agency, linked to the Kremlin, spread fake news during the 2016 US presidential election, reaching 126 million people on Facebook.
  • False news spreads further, faster, deeper, and more broadly than true news, especially in political contexts.
  • False news spreaders had fewer followers, were less active, and had been on Twitter for a shorter time, yet false news was 70% more likely to be retweeted.
  • False news is more novel and elicits more surprise and disgust in replies, while true news generates more anticipation, joy, and trust.
  • Bots accelerate the spread of false news online, but they do not solely account for the differential diffusion of truth and falsity.
  • Synthetic media, powered by generative adversarial networks, will worsen the spread of fake video and audio, challenging reality discernment.
  • Potential solutions to combat misinformation include labeling information, altering incentives, regulation, transparency, and utilizing algorithms and machine learning, while upholding ethical and philosophical considerations.
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