The Disinformation Superhighway 0
At the Des Moines Register, Dr. Greg Ganske, a retired Republican congressman and physician, discusses the dangers posed by AI, deepfakes, and other lies to our polity; he goes on to suggest some strategies for defending against deception on the Disinformation Superhighway. I have a few quibbles with some of remarks he makes in passing, but I think his piece is timely and well worth a read.
Here’s a summary of his suggestions (emphasis in the original):
- Develop a critical mindset. Napoleon once said, “Skepticism is a virtue in history as well as in philosophy.” If you see a suspicious post like the one cited at the beginning of this piece, be skeptical and check the original source. . . .
- Find out if a source is reliable by asking some questions. “About us” pages are easy to fake. Make sure you know the source really exists; find out if the story really came from them. . . .
- Check the facts and quotes from the experts in the story and beware of statistics. The old saying goes, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” Statistics can be manipulated to bolster both sides of an argument if taken out of context. . . .
I would add one suggestion:
Don’t rely on “social” media as a source of news (or, for that matter, information of any sort). If you see something on “social” media, verify it elsewhere, because “social” media isn’t.
