Artificial intelligence has moved beyond the previously confined realm of science fiction novels and is now permeating us into more areas of our lives. This has both advantages and disadvantages. It can add value and high quality to jobs in fields such as engineering, surgery, and other areas of life, while also threatening to take away jobs.
AI is also making its presence felt on social media and is being discovered more frequently. It comes in the form of fabricated or doctored news articles, articles generated by typing a few phrases into his relevant website, images conjured up from the creator's mind, etc. Masu. In some cases, these images are harmless, but in other cases, they are not. They can be misleading, deceptive and sometimes dangerous. Over the past five years, we have experienced the harm most visibly caused by misinformation on social media.
Of course, everyone in the world is a potential victim of social media publications and the false articles and posts published on them. Vulnerable people in Pakistan are particularly at risk, including those who have little awareness that everything they see on screen is not real and, in fact, is mostly fake.
These audiences include people who are older and may not be familiar with different websites and different posting mechanics, as well as very young people around the world who are paying attention to social media, or Gen Z. They have lower literacy and Education is inadequate.
Pakistan has a history of falling victim to fake articles published on social media. At the moment, it is used specifically for political purposes. But in this day and age, we need to find ways to make people more aware that what we see is potentially not real and needs to be looked at carefully. This is especially important because many of the stories published online relate to health, medicine, “miracles” and other areas of life.
Of course, there is only great uncertainty about how to deal with this new influx of information and how to educate the entire population, the majority of whom now own smartphones. But you have to make an effort. First of all, the mainstream media, for all its faults and all its stupidity, remains the most reliable source of information, but it also informs people how to determine what is true and what is just a fabrication. By doing so, you need to take care of social media. This can be done, as many of us know, by reviewing the sources of information posted on websites that can help you with this task.
There are other ways to look at images and determine whether they have been doctored, doctored, or simply created by AI. Of course, by the time people decide whether what they're seeing is real or not, the damage may have been done. But at least by being more wary of what we see on social media, we can make daily events more reliable in the eyes of deluded people and make the world a little more tangible.
The work of educating people can begin in schools. Teenagers and children under this age are often the main victims of social media bullying and photos that are altered in various ways. If these students can be taught how to spot fake photos, it will be easier to prevent them from spreading and causing further harm. We need to do the same in higher education settings, possibly in office environments, and through advertising on social media and other locations.
Most importantly, to the extent possible, discourage and prevent people from purposelessly forwarding content that may or may not be true to others through WhatsApp and the many other media platforms that exist for that purpose. It means there is a need. Indiscreet transfer of items has become a kind of threat. In addition to spreading rumors and causing false panic, they are also responsible for causing real harm to individuals and groups. Campaigns like polio drops, COVID-19 vaccines, and many others come to mind. There are other ways in which false information can cause great damage.
As AI-generated content proliferates on social media, the need for digital literacy has never been greater. In this day and age, as we move into a world where AI is increasingly with us, we need to look carefully for the truth and see what was said and why it was said. In some cases, it's easy to spot fake or fraudulent posts posted on social media. In many other cases, this work is much more difficult and demanding, but it has become very important in our lives.
Because fewer and fewer people live without some kind of access to social media forums, understand how forums work and how to watch out for deliberate efforts to mislead them. is needed. Given the versatility and flexibility of AI, this is no easy task. Addressing the complex challenges posed by AI-generated content will require the collaborative efforts of technology companies, educators, policymakers, and civil society.
Developing AI algorithms that can detect and flag fake content could serve as a valuable tool in the fight against misinformation. The evolving nature of AI technology requires continued adaptation and innovation in strategies to combat abuses that spread falsehoods.
This challenge is likely to become even more difficult as AI develops and threatens ethical conduct in academia and other fields. However, efforts must be made to stop the spread of lies and falsehoods. If we don't move forward to do this, we will be doomed in many ways as we step into a potentially bright new future.
The author is a freelance columnist and former newspaper editor. Contact her at: kamalahyathotmail.com
