It’s no secret that we’re not big fans of the way artificial intelligence (AI) tools have rolled out so quickly, offering a lot of power without many regulations or, unfortunately, ethics.
It’s also no secret that we like when people are well informed about what’s going on in their community and nation, as well as in the world so they can form opinions based on fact.
Next week, Feb. 2-6, is National News Literacy Week and, in our opinion, the awareness effort couldn’t come at a better time, with so many things in our country and world seemingly at fever pitch right now.
We also agree with this year’s focus on AI and know there’s a real need for more people to understand that not every photo and video they see is real. More and more commonly, we’re seeing videos and photos generated that just make situations worse.
Take the case of the Renee Good shooting in Minneapolis earlier this month, for example. Already, folks with different viewpoints are offering varying takes on the course of events that led to the fatal shooting, with different videos and accounts being used to back the varying viewpoints.
Unfortunately, we’ve spotted at least one AI-generated video being used to back up a narrative and course of events some suggest took place, though the generated video is contradicted in multiple aspects by the real videos of the incident. While the ability to spot AI-generated content is becoming more widespread, the videos are clearly still fooling folks.
It seems all the generated video has done is drive hatred and division. We can only hope that as it’s being pointed out as being AI more and more, those who were fooled by it will learn to verify before sharing.
As the News Literacy Project, which presents National News Literacy Week alongside The E.W. Scripps Company, USA TODAY and USA TODAY Network, states, “In the age of AI, it’s not easy to know what to trust.”
The News Literacy Project’s website notes, “For teens growing up in a world where algorithms drive social media feeds, and a quick AI prompt can generate photos or videos that look real, it’s no surprise they question or doubt everything. Many teens also distrust the news media. Our latest study found that 84% of U.S. teens had negative feelings toward journalists and journalism.”
While the awareness effort is primarily geared toward teens and educators, we encourage everyone to take part and work to learn how to tell if something is AI generated or real.
It’s critical, especially now, that we are able to discern what sources are legitimate and can be trusted. Without those skills, there’s little hope for calming down the rhetoric and the division that feels so heavy right now.
The website adds, “This National News Literacy Week, let’s restore trust in standards-based news and embrace a healthy skepticism (not cynicism) by helping young people stay grounded with facts. News literacy education gives students the tools to more skillfully judge for themselves what information to trust, believe, share and base decisions on. We need it now more than ever.”
Randi Pierce
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