Economist Intelligence: EIU’s Post

🚨 In the age of misinformation, how can we trust what we see online? 🔍 Recent events highlighted a troubling trend: AI-generated visuals spreading fake endorsements in political campaigns. This includes a widely circulated, but false, meme involving Taylor Swift urging fans to support a presidential candidate. Here’s why this matters: - **Misinformation is Evolving**: AI tools are capable of generating lifelike images and videos, making it increasingly difficult to differentiate fact from fiction. - **The Impact on Politics**: False information can shape voter opinions and influence elections, raising concerns about the integrity of democratic processes. - **Empower Yourself**: As voters, it’s crucial to be proactive in verifying information. Here’s how: - **Fact-Check Before Sharing**: Always research claims before reposting to avoid spreading falsehoods. - **Consider the Source**: Be skeptical of the origin of the information and check for reputable sources. - **Utilize Tools**: Leverage digital literacy resources to enhance your media evaluation skills. What steps do you take to fact-check information you share online? Let's discuss the importance of media literacy in today’s digital landscape! #Misinformation #AIEthics #DigitalLiteracy Image from: Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board

🚨 In the age of misinformation, how can we trust what we see online? 🔍 Recent events highlighted a troubling trend: AI-generated visuals spreading fake endorsements in political campaigns. This includes a widely circulated, but false, meme involving Taylor Swift urging fans to support a presidential candidate. Here’s why this matters: - **Misinformation is Evolving**: AI tools are capable of generating lifelike images and videos, making it increasingly difficult to differentiate fact from fiction. - **The Impact on Politics**: False information can shape voter opinions and influence elections, raising concerns about the integrity of democratic processes. - **Empower Yourself**: As voters, it’s crucial to be proactive in verifying information. Here’s how: - **Fact-Check Before Sharing**: Always research claims before reposting to avoid spreading falsehoods. - **Consider the Source**: Be skeptical of the origin of the information and check for reputable sources. - **Utilize Tools**: Leverage digital literacy resources to enhance your media evaluation skills. What steps do you take to fact-check information you share online? Let's discuss the importance of media literacy in today’s digital landscape! #Misinformation #AIEthics #DigitalLiteracy Image from: Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board

Widespread access to AI has enabled the spread of election misinformation across social media platforms. In this new era, it is more important than ever to combat misinformation by sticking to trusted sources. #TrustedInfo2024 https://lnkd.in/gqwBJTjA

Introducing @ExchangeWire's Media Pulse: H1 2024, our overview of industry opinion from the first six months of the year. Featuring in-depth analysis of the results of our Digest polls, the Media Pulse is a bellwether of industry opinion on some of the major topics and trends making headlines: • AI • Privacy Sandbox • Curation • Ad spend • Ad industry carbon emissions • and much more... Download now at the link below ⬇

Rage is a lucrative business. The social media platforms seemingly reward accounts for producing controversial, sensational, and engaging content with turbocharged follower growth, visibility, and, where revenue sharing is permitted, therefore, increased revenues. It’s a byproduct of their desire to target us constantly with high-engagement content that increases time spent on the platform by engaging our minds with things that thrill, titillate, or terrify us. We know this means that disinformation and hate are given an advantage on those platforms. There’s almost an Imperial Roman theory behind it: Let the racists and the anti-racists joust for the entertainment of the public. The public will flood to it and we will make tons of money through advertising. Over 2 billion people will vote in democratic elections around the world this year. And we've seen social media being weaponized by bad actors—whether it is nonstate actors, hate actors who are trying to affect the election process, or political parties that use the dynamics on social media platforms that give an algorithmic advantage to hate. We've created for them an information ecosystem that's fundamentally chaotic. And is only getting more chaotic. We've very quickly gone from the conventional age of disinformation to the nuclear age of disinformation with social media, and now to the thermonuclear age of disinformation, where AI and social media combine. The only cost in the past for being able to disseminate these messages for zero cost to a billion people was producing it. AI changes the economics of the production of disinformation and turns that to zero as well. You could flood the information ecosystem with AI-generated disinformation, which is given an algorithmic advantage on social media platforms. You create absolute chaos in the information system. The way that tyrants retain power is not just by lying to people, it's by making them unable to tell what truth is. And it creates apathy. Apathy is the tool of the tyrant. The US still hasn't gotten to grips with the fact that it's democracy is becoming more and more precarious. It's becoming more polarized, it's becoming more hateful, it's becoming less capable of consensus. It's important that we start to put into place the transparency and the accountability that's required for these platforms that control the information ecosystem that has such an enormous impact on our electoral cycles. #Social #Democracy https://lnkd.in/gHQnNfAS?

Journalists and media friends, definitely check out Rolli, which nicely integrates Information Tracer core features to provide real-time social media intelligence. In addition, Rolli provides many more functions to help journalists do their job faster. For those who need a more in-depth investigation (i.e.: you need more data, more visualization, more customized controls), check our original Information Tracer platform (https://lnkd.in/gTXkm7TM). Information Tracer is just redesigned to offer the most powerful social media investigation capabilities. Simply fill in a form (https://lnkd.in/gTXkm7TM) to experience this investigation tool. 🕵♂️ #misinformation #cybersecurity #socialmediaanalytics #journalism

I am very interested in social media and I recently read this brilliant book on the dangers it presents. I think it's extremely pertinent as we enter a year of elections. In the lead-up to the US and UK elections, the pervasive influence of social media in shaping outcomes is evident, raising concerns about its impact on democracy. Past instances, such as Brexit and Trump, exposed the manipulation of voters through social media, a tactic not confined to major elections but permeating local contests globally. Exploiting the psychological concept of Social Proof, fake accounts proliferate, deceiving users by amplifying political messages through algorithmic popularity. Looking ahead, a surge in these manipulative tactics is anticipated, exacerbated by the integration of AI. Sophisticated programs will run fake accounts, leveraging automated efficiency to disseminate misleading audio, video, and news stories. The danger lies in the rapid spread of such content, outpacing subsequent 'debunking' efforts. To safeguard democracy, we can't rely on profit-motivated platforms to police their content. As we navigate these challenging times, equipping ourselves with tools for informed decision-making is vital. Voters must adopt scepticism, fact-checking, rely on trusted sources, and approach social media content with caution. In an era where misinformation thrives, the imperative question becomes, "Is this true?"

Curious how your digital (and off-line) data is used to put you into persona - or if the firm is good, psychographic - buckets to aid political campaigns? Here's a taste: https://lnkd.in/eQxQUxbF

🚀 Big News from Rolli! 🚀 As Meta announces the sunsetting of CrowdTangle, we at Rolli are more committed than ever to empowering journalists. In these critical times, when the integrity of information is paramount, Rolli is doubling down on our mission to equip journalists with the most advanced social media intelligence tools. Our goal? To help you navigate and expose disinformation campaigns during the 2024 election and beyond. We're thrilled to share that Rolli has received a grant from the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) to bolster our efforts. This support enables us to offer our award-winning Information Tracer tool to journalists for free. Developed by NYU Computer Science PhD Zhouhan Chen, and perfected in collaboration with Rolli’s CEO, Nick Toso, Information Tracer simplifies the complex task of tracking, analyzing, and contextualizing social media data. This tool is your ally in identifying disinformation on platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Reddit. Information Tracer's achievements speak for themselves: 🌎 Assisting in the detection of Covid vaccine disinformation in Latin America. 🗣️ Uncovering hate speech and cyberbullying campaigns. 🗳️ Exposing election disinformation in Mexico. "In light of recent developments, Rolli is stepping up to ensure journalists have what they need to uncover the truth. We're making Rolli's Information Tracer freely available to help all journalists listen in on social media and track disinformation in this pivotal election year." - Nick Toso, Rolli CEO. With an initial investment from the Glen Nelson Center at American Public Media Group, Rolli is also introducing other newsgathering technologies. These include AI-driven recommendations for diverse subject matter experts and innovative news discovery tools. Dive deeper into Rolli & Information Tracer ➡️ https://lnkd.in/daYwdabU

🚨 Breaking News: AI-Generated Image Sparks Debate in Political Sphere Former President Trump's recent social media post featuring an AI-generated image of himself kneeling in prayer has ignited a fierce discussion about the role of artificial intelligence in political messaging. This controversial post raises critical questions: 1. How will AI-generated imagery shape political discourse? 2. What are the ethical implications of using AI in campaign strategies? 3. How can voters discern between authentic and AI-created content? 4. What responsibilities do social media platforms have in regulating AI-generated political content? As we navigate this new frontier of digital campaigning, it's crucial to consider the potential impacts on public perception and the integrity of our political processes. What are your thoughts on this emerging trend? How do you think it will affect future elections and voter engagement? Let's discuss this important topic and its implications for our democratic processes. #AIinPolitics #DigitalCampaigning #TechEthics #PoliticalCommunication Read the Full Article: https://lnkd.in/gv7PCNhP