The CDEI has published a report on the role of AI in addressing misinformation on social media platforms, which details the findings from an expert forum it convened last year, with representatives from platforms, fact-checking organisations, media groups, and academia. The role of algorithms in addressing misinformation on platforms, including what changed during the pandemic and why, and the limits of what algorithms can do; How much platforms tell us about the role of algorithms within the content moderation process, and the extent to which there should be greater transparency in this regard; Views on the effectiveness of platform approaches to addressing misinformation, including where there may be room for improvement in the immediate future.The measures to address misinformation and disinformation online are very different, including the role of AI. To avoid an overly broad discussion and add to ongoing debates, the CDEI focused its work solely on measures to address misinformation. Undertaking more research into the efficacy of moderation tools, experimenting with new moderation methods, increasing transparency of platform moderation policies, and investing more in supporting authoritative content, are all interventions worthy of investigation.
To improve the efficacy of moderation tools, the CDEI is currently working with DCMS on the Online Safety Data Initiative, which is designed to test methodologies which enable better and safe access to high quality datasets that can be used for training AI systems to identify and remove harmful and illegal content from the internet.