Tips for Recognizing Misinformation

#Misinformation and #deepfakes are a HUGE concern when using AI models. Why? AI models are prone to hallucination (read: make things up /or be convincingly wrong.) AI is also being used by bad actors to create realistic misinformation with malicious intent. From rappers to political candidates, authentic-sounding deepfakes persuade us to believe or act in ways inconsistent with the way we would with accurate information. Case in point - the 2024 US Presidential election. No stranger to controversy, the next one stands to test Americans’ collective Internet patience. What should we watch for? - Disinformation: the deliberate creation and/or sharing of false information in order to mislead; - Deepfakes: a type of disinformation that uses AI to create realistic but fake audio or video content; and - Misinformation: the act of sharing information without realizing it’s wrong. How do you know if the info you see online is real? The answer lies in due diligence. Take extra steps like these to help ensure that you’re not spreading misinformation, or falling prey to deepfakes and disinformation: - To spot a deepfake, look for isolated blurry spots in the video, double edges to the face, changes in video quality during the video, unnatural blinking or no blinking, and changes in the background or lighting. - Check the source of the information! If you’re using an AI, ask it to list all URL sources (or direct and general sources for models not currently connected to the Internet, like #ChatGPT, #GPT4 and #Claude2.) - Look for other sources that confirm or refute the information. - Check if the information is being reported by reputable news organizations. - Be wary of sensational headlines. - Check if the information is being shared out of context. - Be skeptical of images and videos that seem too good to be true. (It’s time to turn the BS meter way, way up!) What’s your comfort level in spotting disinformation and deepfakes? Do you use any detection tools? Reply in comments - #ai #llm #genai #aiethics #aibias #aiart #promptengineer #generativeai #conversationalai #deepfakes #misinformation #disinformation

"From the very top of Mount Sinai, I bring you these ten . . . cybersecurity regulations." In IT/cybersecurity, the "single source of truth" (SSoT) refers to the authoritative data source, representing the official record of an organization. The broader concept of the SSoT, however, can be helpful in fighting misinformation and disinformation: 1. OBTAIN THE ORIGINAL SOURCE DOCUMENT: Much of the news we hear can be tracked down to a SSoT--an original source document. The original source document can be a judicial opinion, text of a regulation, government or corporate press release, a scientific study, or an audio/video file. 2. FIND IT ON AN OFFICIAL SOURCE: The challenge these days is that with deep fakes, it is hard to know whether you have the SSoT or a fake. Thus, obtain a copy of the SSoT on an official source. For example, judicial opinions can be found on the court website or ECF Pacer. Legislation and proposed legislation can be found on Congress' website. Press releases are available on the issuing agency or organization's website. Scientific studies are usually available (for a fee) on the publishing journal's website or the sponsoring university's website. If you cannot find the SSoT on an official website, consider finding it through a "reliable" news source--one that independently and credibly fact checks its sources, and let's its audience know when it has not done that (e.g., WSJ, NYT, etc.). 3. READ IT YOURSELF: Once you obtain the SSoT, read it yourself, rather than relying on someone's characterization of the document or an AI summary of it. AI regularly hallucinates and mischaracterizes documents and humans often have their own spin or interpretation. See https://lnkd.in/eypgWCnd. 4. CONTEXT MATTERS: Just because you have read the SSoT doesn't mean it is accurate. First, consider what sources the SSoT cites. Are their sources cited at all? Are those sources reliable? Can you review the cited sources themselves? Also, consider who authored the SSoT. Is the author credible? Does the author have a reputation for accuracy and reliability? Consider Googling the name of the document to see whether there is controversy over its authenticity. 5. WHAT IS NOT SAID: When you are reviewing the SSoT, remember that what is NOT said in the SSoT is just as important than what is said. It is not uncommon for people (and perhaps as a result, AI) to make their own inferences and inject their own opinions into their discussion of a topic, when that inference or opinion is not a part of the original SSoT at all, and may be fair or unfair under the circumstances. Deep fakes are a significant problem but the truth is out there. We all bear the responsibility to find it.

Emotions are high right now in the United States on almost every issue. As a result, there is *so* much misinformation rife online about U.S. policy changes. You may see headlines which make you scared for yourself and your family, which confirm your greatest fears, or confirm the fears being discussed in your social circles. When you see a headline that inspires fear or panic, here are some steps you need to take - *even* if the link was shared by people and organizations you trust. If the headline inspires fear or panic, if it seems sensational or scary: 1️⃣ Google around first. But, do not panic if Google returns lots of media results which confirm the sensational headline. First be aware of what those media sources are. If they are an obscure newspaper you have never heard of, for example from foreign papers without credentials (e.g. I'm seeing lots of mis/disinformation spreading in "Times" "Express" labeled newspapers originating from India) - don't panic. 2️⃣ Look for credible US media sources. Think about what credible means to you. For some people that might be CNN, for others it might be Fox News. For others it might be the Associated Press. This is entirely up to you. Regardless of which source you trust - even if they confirm the sensational headline, proceed to the next step. 3️⃣ Go directly to the source - Search for original policy announcements and explainers on a U.S. government website. This means the URL should end with .gov. 4️⃣ Dig into the detail - Look for clear descriptions of who the new policy applies to, who is exempt, and how it will be implemented. Ensure you get this information from a .gov website. 5️⃣ Do not solely read speeches / sound bites by political leaders - This has *always* been the case, not just now. Sound bites are often intended to capture attention or inspire an emotion. You should not rely on a sound bite from a politician to understand the full implications of a policy change. A reminder that there's a lot of change happening in the U.S. right now, but before you let a sensational headline confirm your emotions - whether that emotion is fear or joy - the first thing you need to do is confirm the facts. Don't let quick online information snippets reinforce your emotions - whatever your emotions are. So much information is currently being shared online to do *just* that, to play into a fear or nerve of yours. You deserve to base your decisions on accurate information, and sometimes that takes some work to find.

⚠️ I've seen so much misinformation in my feed these last few days that plays on my political views and biases that it's gotten me really worried. No one is fully immune, especially now with so much going on and such high stakes. 🧠 Leadership is about meeting uncertainty with agency—both individual and collective. When faced with complex challenges, our instinct is to reach for quick fixes and easy answers. But real leadership requires something harder: sitting with the problem long enough to truly understand it. Here's the catch: your understanding is only as good as your information. You can have the sharpest analytical tools and the clearest frameworks, but feed them distorted data and you'll get distorted decisions. Here's what I often do, when I encounter important information I might act on: 🔎 Lateral Reading Open several tabs and cross-check claims in real time. If that sensational headline only shows up on one site, 🚩 treat it with caution. ⏳ The 24-Hour Rule For anything non-urgent, pause for a day before reposting or deciding. Fresh facts (and fact-checkers) usually surface within 24 hrs, saving you from regret. 🌐 Diversify Your Sources Create a virtual “board of advisors.” Follow economists with opposing theories, scientists from different disciplines, and journalists across the political spectrum. More angles = clearer picture. AI tools can help you with this btw! 🤔 Practice Intellectual Humility “I don’t know” is a powerful phrase. Leaders who update their views when new evidence appears earn deeper trust than those who cling to false certainty. 📵 Digital Minimalism Choose only news sources and alerts that serve your purpose. Focus on quality over quantity - select essential tools and feeds, schedule specific times for updates, and eliminate distractions. This intentional approach helps you stay informed without feeling overwhelmed. I rarely read daily news - weekly articles and books/podcasts are a much better source of information. CC Pulse Of Change - Leadership Information Ecosystem: https://lnkd.in/e2-4nJub

This weekend news cycle forced many of us to pause, not panic. Not only do Americans face a crossroads between civility/unity and chaos. 🥦 We also face a pivotal moment where we must take stock of our news diet. 🥦 I could have never predicted that our 86th podcast and livestream focused on helping you fight fake news, and protect your brand--and that they would drop over the weekend, when we needed these reminders the MOST. Don’t let misinformation ruin your hard-earned reputation or drain your energy. We need fact-focused leaders with keen, calm critical thinking qualities right now. SHOW LINK (37 minutes): https://lnkd.in/eYHVuq4R In this episode we welcomed Jack Brewster of NewsGuard. They are committed to providing transparent tools to counter fake news for marketers, business leaders, and democracies. You probably remember reading his epic Wall Street Journal essay. It outlined his experience building a fake news site in less than 48 hours. In short, here's what you can do to quiet the fake news noise, and protect your brand: 1. Practice “pre-bunking” across the company. Jack recommends that "readers should be informed about sources that often share misinformation so they can critically evaluate the information they encounter." 2. Before you take the content seriously, copy the story into Google. See the source. Are they a Tier 1, credible site? 3. Embrace a healthy media diet. 🥦 Cut your social media consumption by just five minutes a day (please avoid using Facebook, Instagram, or X as your "go-to" news feeds). Divert that 5 minutes worth of energy to Tier 1 sources. 4. Refine your critical thinking skills. A lot of my CEO and CMO clients have young, inexperienced team members running their content and communications strategies. That does not excuse misinformation and junk content. It’s incumbent on leaders to help younger professionals build critical thinking and strategic muscles. Invest in courses, such as "Developing Critical Thinking Skills" by my fellow LinkedIn Learning instructor Becki Saltzman. 5. When using generative AI tools to brainstorm or summarize, ask the tool for exact sources and the URL to that source. Then ▶ TEST that URL. Some will not work. Bad links have appeared in my prompts dozens of times, and I use paid versions of ChatGPT and Claude. Among these five fake news fighters, which one will you implement? SHOW LINK: https://lnkd.in/eYHVuq4R OR - search for "The Mindful Marketer" where you listen to podcasts. P.S. Follow Jack Brewster’s work, and subscribe to NewsGuard’s free “Reality Check” e-news: https://www.newsguardtechDOTcom/about/ Sarah Johnston Alex Lieberman Ginger Conlon