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Generative AIGenerative AI is a form of artificial intelligence that can mimic human imagination and creativity. The term "generative" refers to models’ ability to generate original content, including text, video, audio, and more. Text-based generation relies on large language models that have been trained on massive datasets of public text. These models identify patterns in the sequence of words and create responses one word at a time, resembling an advanced auto-complete tool. Tools that generate images and videos rely on a single system—the generator—producing data that resembles training data, while a second system—a discriminator—distinguishes between generated data and training data. Both systems compete until the discriminator is unable to differentiate between the two sets of data successfully. As of October 2025, approximately 800 million people use ChatGPT weekly, and new media-generating tools are being introduced daily, increasing the risk of bad actors utilizing them to create disinformation and propaganda.Explore Generative AI

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Malicious use of deepfakes can be found in scams, misinformation, and disinformationArtificial neural networks can identify an individual's physical characteristics when provided with training data, such as real footage of the person speaking. Graphics techniques overlay these with matching characteristics from another real or generated person to create novel footage of things that have never taken place in reality. Microsoft Mark Zuckerberg apologized for not doing enough to stop the spread of misinformation on Facebook ahead of the 2016 electionLeading up to the 2016 election, misinformation about both Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and even Barack Obama flourished on Facebook. In the final stretch leading up to the election, more than one-quarter of Americans visited a fake news site supporting either Trump or Clinton. Many fake news studies have widely different methods of measuring and assessing the impact of fake news, so the actual impact it had in the 2016 election is unclear. NPR Polio is currently circulating in only two countries but it remains difficult to eradicateWild polio virus is only endemic in two places. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the last two countries with naturally occurring polio cases. Vaccination campaigns have been plagued by misinformation, Taliban bans on vaccines, distrust of public health workers, and violence, including the killing of vaccinators. Council on Foreign Relations An image of a shark swimming on the freeway repeatedly fools viewers during natural disastersThe long-running joke traces back to 2011, following Hurricane Irene in Puerto Rico. Since then, pranksters have spread the image after Hurricane Matthew in 2016, Hurricane Harvey in 2017, and Hurricane Laura in 2020. The image is photo-edited, combining a 2005 photo of a kayaker being followed by a great white shark and a photo of a flooded street. USA TODAY AI is not good at understanding satireSocial media has become rife with misinformation. In response, some organizations have deployed AI-assisted programs trying to curb the spread of this inaccurate content. The problem is that misinformation and satire, rhetorically speaking, often use the same kind of language, something AI struggles to understand. Stanford University On social media, satire is often mistaken for newsA 2018 study found that satire was often mistaken for legitimate fact, with stories from outlets like The Onion being shared widely without any understanding of their satirical intent. Likewise, the study found that media outlets often mislabeled satire as "fake news," a label that implies disinformation rather than social commentary. Association for Computing Machinery The dead internet theory suggests that mostly bots are interacting onlineThe dead internet theory proposes that bots create most online content. These bots are believed to create social media posts to boost engagement and increase advertising revenue. However, the accounts doing the liking and commenting are also believed to be bots. The theory suggests governments use bots to manipulate public opinion. Live Science The theory of chemtrails originated from misinterpreting a US Air Force paperThe document proposed a future weather modification system to achieve military objectives, but clarified that such a system "does not reflect current military policy, practice, or capability." Past testing of biological and chemical weapons has accelerated conspiracies about streaks of condensation trailing aircraft to be harmful chemical agents. The Conversation 'Freakonomics' celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2025The book 'Freakonomics' arguably changed the business landscape when it came out, and has since evolved into other forms of media and a cultural phenomenon. Spotify Philip Roth once tried to correct details on one of his novel's Wikipedia pagesThe Wikipedia entry for Roth's 2000 novel "The Human Stain" alleges that the book was based on the life of Anatole Broyard, a Black American writer who "passed" for white, something he shared in common with the main character in Roth's novel, though Roth said that wasn't true. When Roth tried to correct the error, Wikipedia editors told him he would need a secondary source to back up his claim. The Atlantic Wind farms are targets for conspiracy theories due to their visibility and complexityThe proliferation of misinformation and conspiracy theories surrounding wind farms is driven by deep-seated anxieties about change, distrust of government, and resistance to confronting the complexities of modern energy solutions. The Conversation How Napoleon took power in FranceThe Coup of 18 Brumaire peacefully overthrew France’s unstable Directory and established the Consulate under Napoleon Bonaparte. This page explains the political crisis, key conspirators like Sieyès and Talleyrand, how troops and propaganda facilitated the takeover, and how the coup ended the French Revolution and launched Napoleon’s rise. Fondation Napoléon Most biodegradable plastics don’t break down in everyday conditionsDespite their eco-friendly name, biodegradable plastics often require industrial composting, which most areas lack, to decompose the uncommon compounds found in them. This means they may linger in landfills or contaminate conventional plastics in recycling bins. The New York Times False memories can form during recall when new information is incorporatedOften formed due to suggestion and misinformation, false memories can lead to serious consequences, such as wrongful convictions. The time between an event and recalling it affects one's susceptibility to false memories. Verywell Mind Balancing free speech while curbing misinformation has destroyed content moderationAccusations of censorship and bias have led social media companies like Meta and X to scale back or abandon moderation tools—just as foreign propaganda surges. Researchers say their ability to track manipulation online has become severely limited. Columbia Journalism Review The evolution of X, from startup to Musk-owned giant, reflects rapid tech shiftsTwitter began in 2006 as a side project and grew into a major global platform, widely used for news, activism, and political discourse. Despite mainstream success, it faced ongoing management turmoil, business struggles, and rising concerns over misinformation and user safety. CNBC Extremist groups have used Facebook to propagate misinformation and recruit membersFor years, Facebook has been accused of taking a too-light approach to content moderation. While it’s made strides in recent years, problematic content continues to thrive on the company’s platforms. WIRED By 2022, Meta was betting strongly on a metaverse strategy for its productsMoving beyond the controversies over fueling misinformation, division, and harm worldwide, Mark Zuckerberg expressed optimism about technology's role in connecting people. Meta's multibillion-dollar investments in integrative AR and VR technologies have further evolved its founder's vision. Land of the Giants The 'Facebook papers' revealed the company prioritized profit over public safetyA whistleblower came forward with internal documents showing employees warned leadership about the company's role in fueling political unrest and misinformation. Systems like XCheck shielded high-profile users like President Donald Trump from normal content rules, often to avoid PR backlash. NPR Facebook was sued for $150 billion over the violence against Rohingya refugeesFacebook has been criticized for years for a prevalence of disinformation and hate speech, a problem that’s not just confined to digital content. The plaintiffs argue Facebook's algorithm amplified dangerous propaganda in Myanmar, contributing to violence. CNN Memes are 'ready-made language'Internet memes—groups of texts with shared core content, medium, and stance—are what we, as creators and consumers, make of them. Through their seemingly innocuous and irreverent design, these "bite-sized" transmissions have become vehicles of misinformation, conspiracy, propaganda, activism, and subversive messaging. BBC News Deepfake potential ranges from destabilizing democracies to improving accessibilityThe technology can revolutionize education, medicine, and art through actions such as helping a disabled person express themselves. However, fictional audio and video can also jeopardize a person's reputation and life or quickly spread misinformation, even without content being flawless recreations. Brave New Planet In 2024, deepfake audio of London Mayor Sadiq Khan nearly caused real-world disorderThe audio included incendiary remarks related to the ongoing Palestinian protests and played on the public's preexisting political biases. The technology has since destabilized the concept of truth in elections, where politicians blame the use of real gaffes on AI and deepfakes to spread misinformation. Washington Post The ease of deepfakes creation may soon overwhelm our sense of digital truthShortly after the public release of related technology in 2017, some experts saw the technical limitations of deepfakes as preventing them from becoming widespread tools of disinformation. Since then, the neural networks behind diffusion models and generative AI have eliminated the barriers to creating convincing synthetic media for propaganda. The Atlantic Governments are now using generative AI to manipulate public opinionA Freedom House report found that AI-powered disinformation campaigns and censorship tactics are spreading, with 16 countries utilizing the technology to shape online narratives or suppress dissent, as of 2023. In Venezuela, deepfake software was used to push pro-government propaganda with fake news anchors. MIT Technology Review The original misinformation campaignIn the early 1980s, the KGB launched a disinformation campaign claiming that AIDS was a U.S. biological weapon that had been deliberately created to target minority communities in the United States. The campaign was codenamed "Operation Denver" and was spread through a variety of channels, including the media, academic journals, and even scientific conferences. The KGB's goal was to discredit the U.S. government and sow fear and distrust among the American public. The campaign was remarkably effective, and its legacy can still be felt today in the form of persistent conspiracy theories about the origins of AIDS. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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