University of Kwazulu-Natal

Blog Post Towards An Ai Based Counter Disinformation Framework

Bonisiwe Shabane
-
blog post towards an ai based counter disinformation framework

In this blog post, Linda Slapakova discusses the various roles that AI plays in counter-disinformation efforts, the prevailing shortfalls of AI-based counter-disinformation tools and the technical, governance and regulatory barriers to their uptake, and... Disinformation has become a defining feature of the COVID-19 crisis. With social media bots (i.e. automated agents engaging on social networks) nearly twice as active during COVID-19 as opposed to past crises and national elections, the public and private sectors have struggled to address the rapid spreading of false... This has highlighted the need for effective, innovative tools to detect and strengthen institutional and societal resilience against disinformation. The leveraging of Artificial Intelligence (AI) represents one avenue for the development and use of such tools.

To provide a holistic assessment of the opportunities of an AI-based counter-disinformation framework, this blog firstly discusses the various roles that AI plays in counter-disinformation efforts. Next, it discusses the prevailing shortfalls of AI-based counter-disinformation tools and the technical, governance and regulatory barriers to their uptake, and how these could be addressed to foster the uptake of AI-based solutions for... Emerging technologies, including AI, are often described as a double-edged sword with relation to information threats. On the one hand, emerging technologies can enable more sophisticated online information threats and often lower the barriers to entry for malign actors. On the other hand, they can provide significant opportunities for countering such threats. This has been no less true in the case of AI and disinformation.

Though the majority of malign information on social media is spread by relatively simple bot technology, existing evidence suggests that AI is being leveraged for more sophisticated online manipulation techniques. The extent of the use of AI in this context is difficult to measure, but many information security experts believe that AI is already being leveraged by malign actors, for example to better determine... ‘what to attack, who to attack, [and] when to attack’). This enables more targeted attacks and thus more effective information threats, including disinformation campaigns. Recent advances in AI techniques such as Natural Language Processing (NLP) have also given rise to concerns that AI may be used to create more authentic synthetic text (e.g. fake social media posts, articles and documents).

Moreover, Deepfakes (i.e. the leveraging of AI to create highly authentic and realistic manipulated audio-visual material) represent a prominent example of image-based AI-enabled information threat. The Rise of AI in the Fight Against Disinformation: A Collaborative Approach The digital age, characterized by the proliferation of online platforms and social media, has witnessed an unprecedented surge in the spread of disinformation. Traditional methods of media regulation and censorship struggle to keep pace with the speed and scale of this challenge. Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly viewed as a crucial tool in combating this infodemic, offering the potential to automate the detection and flagging of misleading information.

International organizations, governments, and private companies are investing heavily in AI-powered solutions. However, the success of these initiatives hinges on a collaborative approach, integrating top-down interventions with bottom-up empowerment of journalists and civil society organizations. Mapping the AI-Powered Anti-Disinformation Landscape: A Web-Based Approach To understand the evolving landscape of AI-driven anti-disinformation initiatives, researchers employed a web mapping methodology. This approach leverages the interconnected nature of the web, utilizing hyperlinks as proxies for social connections. By analyzing the citation structure of websites dedicated to combating disinformation with AI, researchers gain insight into the networks of actors involved and their respective strategies.

This study specifically examined 81 websites actively engaged in developing or utilizing AI against disinformation, creating a network map visualizing their interconnections. Unveiling Three Distinct Clusters: Europe, the US, and Fact-Checking Agencies Our research integrity and auditing teams lead the rigorous process that protects the quality of the scientific record Edited by: Ludmilla Huntsman, Cognitive Security Alliance, United States Reviewed by: J. D.

Opdyke, DataMineit, LLC, United States Hugh Lawson-Tancred, Birkbeck University of London, United Kingdom *Correspondence: Alexander Romanishyn, a.romanishyn@ise-group.org Received 2025 Jan 31; Accepted 2025 Jun 30; Collection date 2025. Most initiatives that use artificial intelligence to combat disinformation are clustered around two continents. Information spreads quickly on the internet, and consequently, so does disinformation.

This has become a serious problem for modern societies, as traditional approaches to curtail disinformation don’t scale very well. Policymakers and media organisations increasingly see artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool that can be used to automate the detection of false or misleading information to prevent it from spreading further. In this week’s post, we take a look at a brief research report that analyses the hyperlink citation structure of websites belonging to initiatives that use AI to fight disinformation. This is based on the idea that hyperlinks serve as proxies for social connections, which may include anything from similar viewpoints to actual collaborations. The use of artificial intelligence in counter-disinformation: A world wide (web) mapping Federico Pilati (University of Bologna, University of Milano-Bicocca and University of Geneva)

People Also Search

In This Blog Post, Linda Slapakova Discusses The Various Roles

In this blog post, Linda Slapakova discusses the various roles that AI plays in counter-disinformation efforts, the prevailing shortfalls of AI-based counter-disinformation tools and the technical, governance and regulatory barriers to their uptake, and... Disinformation has become a defining feature of the COVID-19 crisis. With social media bots (i.e. automated agents engaging on social networks)...

To Provide A Holistic Assessment Of The Opportunities Of An

To provide a holistic assessment of the opportunities of an AI-based counter-disinformation framework, this blog firstly discusses the various roles that AI plays in counter-disinformation efforts. Next, it discusses the prevailing shortfalls of AI-based counter-disinformation tools and the technical, governance and regulatory barriers to their uptake, and how these could be addressed to foster th...

Though The Majority Of Malign Information On Social Media Is

Though the majority of malign information on social media is spread by relatively simple bot technology, existing evidence suggests that AI is being leveraged for more sophisticated online manipulation techniques. The extent of the use of AI in this context is difficult to measure, but many information security experts believe that AI is already being leveraged by malign actors, for example to bet...

Moreover, Deepfakes (i.e. The Leveraging Of AI To Create Highly

Moreover, Deepfakes (i.e. the leveraging of AI to create highly authentic and realistic manipulated audio-visual material) represent a prominent example of image-based AI-enabled information threat. The Rise of AI in the Fight Against Disinformation: A Collaborative Approach The digital age, characterized by the proliferation of online platforms and social media, has witnessed an unprecedented sur...

International Organizations, Governments, And Private Companies Are Investing Heavily In

International organizations, governments, and private companies are investing heavily in AI-powered solutions. However, the success of these initiatives hinges on a collaborative approach, integrating top-down interventions with bottom-up empowerment of journalists and civil society organizations. Mapping the AI-Powered Anti-Disinformation Landscape: A Web-Based Approach To understand the evolving...