Building trust and protecting people in the age of AI and disinformation
As we say at Factal, facts save lives. From severe weather and wildfires to shootings and regional conflicts, it’s critical that first responders, security professionals and anyone in harm’s way have access to fast, accurate information.
But the quality of real-time information is deteriorating. Social media is becoming increasingly polluted with noise, misinformation and AI-generated deception. Real-time events are being distorted to fit agendas, spread propaganda or sow doubt. With generative AI, creating convincing disinformation at scale has never been easier. And to top it all off, news organizations are cutting the reporting staff needed to combat misinformation as they struggle to stay afloat.
This is one the greatest challenges of our time. If you don’t know what’s real in real time, how can you make the right decisions to protect people, guard reputations and avoid disruptions? How can companies stay competitive and NGOs save lives?
As the co-founder and product leader at Factal and previously the co-founder of Breaking News (full bio), I’ve spent over a decade building companies and products designed to help people and organizations navigate real-time information with speed, precision and trust. I author white papers and speak at conferences about three key topics, each with a practical approach that aims to provide solutions rather than just talk about the problem:
- Real time verification of crisis events and breaking news
- Countering the threat of disinformation
- Benefit and risks of generative AI in risk intelligence (paper)
As a longtime award-winning journalist and technology product leader, I believe in a hybrid approach. In the face of these growing challenges, we must leverage both the strengths of AI and the irreplaceable value of human expertise. As AI advances and the threat landscape evolves, we must develop new skills on the fly.
If you’re looking for a speaker or someone to interview, please feel free to contact me via Factal or personally.