KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training Blog

[Breaking] The News Is Increasingly Broken. Surge Of Inaccurate AI News Stories

Written by Stu Sjouwerman | May 9, 2024 6:30:57 PM

Keeping up to date what is happening is crucial in IT, but the reliability of the news you consume is facing a growing threat.

A recent surge in AI-generated news sites flagged as unreliable by NewsGuard highlights this issue. Since May 2023, the count of these dubious domains has skyrocketed, reaching nearly 800 by March 2024.

This trend is a red flag signaling an increase in efforts to use these technologies for spreading disinformation.

These AI-generated news outlets can pump out massive amounts of deceptive content super fast, flooding the internet with fake news that is either clickbait, can sway public opinion, disrupt markets, or potentially influence elections. The slickness of these sites often makes it tough for you to tell real news from fakes, shaking your trust in all media.

If you're in cybersecurity or IT, the stakes are particularly high. There's a crucial need to develop better tools to spot these AI-driven fakes. Starting with awareness is key. You've got to champion a healthy sense of suspicion and System 2 thinking, and stick to trusted sources. Time to build a strong security culture.