Will Artificial Intelligence Amplify Disinformation? A Balanced Perspective
In recent discussions about the impact of Artificial Intelligence on information quality, a common concern has emerged: that AI could significantly escalate the spread of false or misleading content online. Many worry that as AI becomes more capable of generating vast amounts of text, images, and videos, the digital landscape might become inundated with disinformation, making it harder to discern truth from fiction.
However, I believe this perspective might overstate the case. While it’s true that AI can produce a large volume of content—much of which is low-quality or repetitive—the core dynamics of content consumption haven’t necessarily changed in the way many imagine.
Consider the typical experience of scrolling through social media platforms like TikTok or Instagram. Regardless of whether the content is human-made or AI-generated, most users tend to engage with a manageable amount—say, 100 to 150 videos or posts before shifting attention elsewhere. Introducing AI-generated material doesn’t inherently increase the total volume of content viewed; it just alters the origin of that content.
Furthermore, humans are naturally selective. We engage with content that entertains, interests, or emotionally resonates with us, regardless of its origin. Over the past years, the internet has already been flooded with an enormous volume of human-generated disinformation—political rumors, sensational news, conspiracy theories. The addition of AI-created disinformation, in volume, doesn’t drastically change the landscape because our consumption patterns remain largely the same.
In essence, the type and format of content—a mix of entertaining cat videos, funny clips, political commentary, or miscellaneous snippets—shape what we see. And unless AI somehow produces entirely new formats or drastically different methods of influencing perceptions, its impact on the proportion of disinformation we encounter may be limited.
It’s also worth noting that disinformation often takes subtle forms, such as edited clips or misleading context rather than outright lies. For example, a clip of a politician edited to seem like they’re saying something they didn’t can be more insidious than blatant falsehoods. Yet, in the grand scheme, the flood of information combined with typical media consumption habits may render these distinctions less impactful.
The main concern about AI-generated disinformation is the potential for deeply convincing doctored media—deepfakes, manipulated videos, or audio. While these are legitimate threats, I believe our resistance and critical thinking skills, combined with technological and journalistic safeguards, will continue to serve as effective defenses.
In summary, the
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