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Mar 2024

AI can spread climate misinformation cheaper and faster

Source: Asia Insurance Review | May 2023

AI can be used for nefarious purposes, including spreading conspiracy theories, in a much cheaper and faster manner according to a study by NewsGuard, a company that monitors and researches online misinformation.
 
The study team has said that AI can be a dangerous addition to the already fraught landscape of online misinformation, including when it comes to spreading conspiracy theories and misleading claims about climate change.
 
The study released in March 2023 revealed that leading AI developers have failed to implement effective guardrails to prevent users from generating potentially harmful content with their products.
 
NewsGuard researchers during their research were able to consistently bypass ChatGPT’s safeguards meant to prevent users from generating potentially harmful content.
 
Researchers said the latest version of OpenAI’s chatbot was ‘more susceptible to generating misinformation’ and ‘more convincing in its ability to do so’ than the previous version of the programme, churning out sophisticated responses that were almost indistinguishable from ones written by humans.
 
Climate activists are especially concerned about what AI could mean for an online landscape that research shows are already flush with misleading and false claims about global warming. Last year a blitz of disinformation during the COP27 global climate talks in Egypt undermined the summit’s progress.
 
Several companies with AI chatbots, including OpenAI, Microsoft and Google, have responded to growing concerns about their products by creating guardrails meant to mitigate the ability of users to generate harmful content, including misinformation. A 
 
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