Technology, Disinformation, and Verification: Dangers & Solutions​

5:15-6:15 p.m. Networking 6:15-7:30 p.m. Presentation 7:30-7:45 p.m. Q&A ​8:00 p.m. Networking at Trifecta

Speakers Jay Boisseau, Executive Director, Austin Forum on Technology & Society and CEO, ViziasSarah Brandt,  EVP Partnerships, NewsGuard​Art Markman, Professor of Psychology, UT Austin ​Inga Trauthig, Head of Research, Propagranda Research Lab at the Center for Media Engagement at UT AustinLindsay Walker, Product Lead, Starling Lab for Data Integrity

Event Summary ​ Misinformation and, more worryingly, disinformation, will always be concerns and dangers as long as humans have competing interests and motivations, but technologies have greatly enabled their reach and influence. Smartphones and social media platforms enable essentially everyone to accidentally (misinformation) or intentionally (disinformation) share false information widely--instantly. Generative AI presents great promise for useful work but is itself at risk of misinformation (hallucinations), and can be used to quickly create compelling disinformation--text, audio, images, and even video--that subvert our human inclinations to trust our eyes and ears. Combining quick, compelling generation of false information with quick, widespread sharing of it is a recipe for fueling polarization, and…