How is AI reshaping the (mis)information ecosystem?  

Think about a time when there was a public transit strike in your town. How did you know that there was one? Did you read about it in the news? On social media? Or did you hear about it from a friend? If so, where did they get the information?  

From when you open Instagram first thing in the morning when you listen to your favorite news podcast on your way home, you are constantly exposed to a stream of information. Yet, in a world where information is omnipresent, it’s surprisingly easy to forget that we all live in information ecosystems. A classic case of not being able to see the forest through the trees.  

These ecosystems are crucial in influencing public opinion and knowledge. So, what happens when they face a significant disruption? This was the focus of Sean Gourley’s keynote address at Twipe’s 2024 Digital Growth Summit. 

Early changes in the information ecosystem 

Disruptions in our modern information ecosystems are not new. Take misinformation campaigns: Perhaps the misinformation methods were not as widespread as they have been since the mainstream adoption of the internet, but they were always a part of the landscape.  

Indeed, as technology advanced, so did the misinformation techniques. The mainstream media began recognizing the growing impact of misinformation tactics during key global events around 2015-2016 (e.g., Brexit and the US elections).

These events marked a turning point in how misinformation could influence public opinion on a massive scale. For instance, during the Brexit campaign, the use of digital bots reached new levels of sophistication. As Gourley shared in his keynote, researchers discovered that around 400,000 bots were responsible for approximately 20% of all tweets discussing the Brexit referendum.  

Algorithms have also played an important role in shaping the information ecosystem, often manipulating what information reaches the public. These complex sets of rules determine what information we see and what gets suppressed, which can alter the public’s understanding of events to a large degree.

Take the search results for the Tiananmen Square protests. As Gourley shared, in most parts of the world, a search result might reveal a mix of generic images of the square alongside historical photographs of the 1989 protests. However, in China, such searches yield starkly different results. The algorithm used by search engines in China restricts access to any imagery or information about the protests, effectively erasing this significant event from the digital memory of its citizens. 

Artificial intelligence: The big disruptor 

No disruption in our information ecosystems has been so large as the advent of AI.  

In 2015, the idea of AI still seemed like a futuristic concept, often discussed with a sense of disbelief. Gourley notes, “In 2015, we had to talk about artificial intelligence in quotes because no one believed we could do it”.  

Since then, the progression of AI technology has been rapid and profound. Today, AI technology has reached a level of sophistication where it can create realistic and interactive forms of media that can emulate human behavior and emotions, making it increasingly difficult to discern whether content is fabricated or authentic.  

Moreover, AI’s capabilities extend into areas of cognitive influence. Machines are now better at convincing people than other humans are. For example, a study used AI to help “unprogramming” individuals from conspiracy theories. Furthermore, AI is better at playing the online strategic game Diplomacy, where you need to make complex alliances with other players to win.  

So what?

AI will complicate our ability to distinguish truth from fabrication. The rapid advancement of AI is already raising important questions about the authenticity and reliability of information and, as Gourley notes, “this is as bad as [AI] is ever going to get”. We can expect many more complications in the future.  

The most profound impact of a corrupted information ecosystem can be summarized with the Liar’s Dividend. As Gourley explained, “If everyone always lies, the problem isn’t that you’ll start believing the lies, but that you’ll stop believing anything at all—even the truth.” 

He shares an example where two people with opposite views are discussing an issue and rejecting their counterpart’s arguments by simply stating that the source of their information is false. Having continually different information ecosystems would exacerbate the realities within which we live and lead to tensions among groups. In short, the influence of AI on our information ecosystems holds important ramifications for the health of our democracies.

What role can publishers play in this context? As AI continues to blur the lines between real and artificial, it becomes crucial for media consumers and creators to develop new ways to verify and validate information. This is where journalism and those who work in the media industry must step up to play a larger role in meeting their ultimate goal of providing reliable information to the public. From the stories to the products, we have to find ways to reach the public and establish this link of trust.