How AI is helping researchers detect disinformation campaigns
What's the story
Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used as a powerful tool to combat disinformation campaigns. Researchers are employing machine learning techniques to analyze false information, using AI tools to piece together details about the storyteller, the timeline of their narrative, and cultural elements specific to where it originates. This approach is helping identify inconsistencies in stories and detect potential disinformation.
Narrative influence
The power of storytelling in shaping beliefs
Storytelling has a profound impact on what people care about and believe. It can be a personal anecdote, testimony, or meme that resonates with cultural narratives. These stories stick with us, evoke emotions, and shape our beliefs. However, this same power can be exploited by malicious actors to manipulate public opinion through disinformation campaigns.
Defense mechanism
AI's importance in combating disinformation
While AI has been used to spread disinformation, it is also being harnessed as a defense against such manipulation. At the Cognition, Narrative and Culture Lab at Florida International University, AI tools are being developed to detect disinformation campaigns that use narrative persuasion tactics. These tools go beyond surface-level language analysis and understand narrative structures, trace personas and timelines, and decode cultural references.
Information warfare
Disinformation vs misinformation: A crucial distinction
Disinformation is different from misinformation in that it is intentionally fabricated and shared to mislead and manipulate. A recent example of this came in October 2024, where a video falsely showed a Pennsylvania election worker tearing up mail-in ballots for Donald Trump. The FBI traced the clip back to a Russian influence outfit within days of it sweeping platforms such as X and Facebook, highlighting how foreign influence campaigns can manufacture and amplify false narratives to manipulate US politics.
Narrative analysis
AI's role in understanding narrative structures
AI tools can help identify when a story doesn't add up by piecing together all the details. These tools also analyze usernames to infer demographic and identity traits such as name, gender, location sentiment, and even personality. This semantic interpretation contributes to a more holistic approach to disinformation detection, one that considers not just what is said but who appears to be saying it and why.
Narrative complexity
Challenge in understanding nonlinear narratives
AI systems struggle with nonlinear storytelling, where events aren't presented in chronological order. To combat this, researchers are developing methods for timeline extraction, teaching AI to identify events and understand their sequence even when a story is told nonlinearly. This approach helps overcome one of the major challenges faced by AI in determining a sequence of events based on narrative accounts.