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A new paper by GLOBSEC, one of the members of the VIGILANT consortium, underscores the critical need to harness the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in detecting and countering disinformation.
Acknowledging AI's dual role—both as a tool that has been exploited for spreading misleading information and as a largely untapped resource in the fight against such practices—GLOBSEC's paper advocates for a paradigm shift. It proposes that AI should be repositioned from being a part of the problem to becoming a central element in the solution.
Highlighting practical applications of AI in combating disinformation, the paper points to initiatives like those of Seznam.cz, which is actively exploring ways to deploy AI for good. For example, Seznam.cz is developing AI systems to recommend fact-checks to users engaging in spreading questionable or conspiratorial content in the comment sections below news articles. Furthermore, the company is innovating in AI-driven techniques to discern AI-generated parts of texts, particularly effective in longer documents.
Seznam.cz is using AI to determine what part of a text was written by AI, claiming that this system is highly accurate for longer texts.
These efforts are complemented by the work of the Central European Digital Media Observatory (CEDMO) hub, which includes prominent institutions like the Artificial Intelligence Centre of the Czech Technical University (CTU) and the Slovak Kempelen Institute of Intelligent Technologies (KInIT). Both these institutions bring valuable AI expertise to the table. The ambitious goal set by the Rector of CTU, Vojtěch Petráček, to establish a pan-European AI Centre of Excellence, finds its first steps in the formation of CEDMO. This hub is envisioned as a collaborative platform where AI experts, disinformation specialists, and fact-checkers can unite their efforts. Such a coalition is not only strategic but also essential in effectively addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by disinformation. By pooling resources and expertise, CEDMO aims to become a vital player in establishing robust defenses against disinformation, utilizing advanced AI technologies.
The VIGILANT project aims to do the same by bringing together experts from various fields to develop an AI-driven tool to help the police in detecting and countering disinformation.
For more details about these initiatives and more counter-disinformation recommendations read the full paper here.