AI-Generated Misinformation, Fact-Checking Trends, and Political Education for Students

The Authority File

In the final episode of this four-part series, our guests look at contemporary issues facing our information environment, media, and news cycles. First, Dan Chibnall, STEM Librarian & Associate Professor of Librarianship at Drake University, and Nick Anstead, Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics, reflect on the threat of AI-generated misinformation in the form of written text and, more recently, images and video. Next, Nick and Dan dig into contemporary trends of real-time analysis and fact-checking. Noting that fact-checking doesn’t always reach the audience receiving the false information, they also point out that these efforts can inadvertently share misinformation more widely, adding attention to outlandish or harmful views. Last, our guests discuss guidance for librarians on how to support students’ navigation through mis/disinformation—namely, slow down, be cautious of social media, and focus on issues with a local impact.

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