Name: How we can protect truth in the age of misinformation
Uploaded: 2019-12-17T21:06:01Z
Duration: 14 min 54 s
Description: Fake news can sway elections, tank economies and sow discord in everyday life. Data scientist Sinan Aral demystifies how and why it spreads so quickly -- citing one of the largest studies on misinformation -- and identifies five strategies to help us unweave the tangled web between true and false.

Sinan Aral: How we can protect truth in the age of misinformation

How we can protect truth in the age of misinformation

Fake news can sway elections, tank economies and sow discord in everyday life. Data scientist Sinan Aral demystifies how and why it spreads so quickly -- citing one of the largest studies on misinformation -- and identifies five strategies to help us unweave the tangled web between true and false.

False news races farther and deeper through social media than true news, often reaching thousands within minutes and sinking stock markets in hours. Novelty grabs attention, making misinformation more likely to go viral than facts, especially on political topics. As synthetic media grows more convincing, distinguishing real from fake becomes harder, posing risks to democracy and public trust. Solutions exist, but each carries challenges around ethics, incentives, and technology.