NOW MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT
Information technology is advancing at an unforeseen rate, today it is possible to deftly manipulate social media content with AI tools which results in fake news, misinformation and disinformation. Given the gullibility of common people, digital divide and uneven digital literacy the threat is very real and increasing alarmingly. This major project, funded by ICSSR and investigated by experts from the Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur, is directed towards multiple goals in terms of understanding the ecosystem of technologically manipulated information and the organizations that combat the threat of technologically manipulated information. This interdisciplinary venture draws from the fields of Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology and Artificial intelligence to attain its objectives.
I nitially, this project aims to investigate the various ways in which the psychological impact of technologically manipulated news/media is manifested at an individual level among the social media users. The study further endeavors to explore these manifestations at a group or social level among the social media users. The research also aims to get insights on the ethical implications of the psychosocial impact of technologically manipulated information on social cohesion with its novelty lying in the fact that these implications would be derived from the lived experience of the community. The believability quotient of information is another point of interest to the researchers in which they try to identify the psychological factors that are manipulated to increase the believability of such information and also how the characteristic of the news aids its believability quotient. Another crucial goal of this research is to develop a framework for predicting the virality of image/video content and finding the socio-cultural and media factors responsible for the virality. The project also dives into the comprehension of the functioning and the motivation of social institutions and organizations, from both technological and social science oriented perspectives, that combat the threat of technologically manipulated information.
As the technologies employed in creation and dissemination of false information are evolving unprecedentedly, the government policies need to be more prompt, adaptable, far- sighted and comprehensive. This interdisciplinary study hopes to contribute to the policies of government and recommend changes to current policy to help conrolling data manipulation, its dissemination and its socio-psychological fallouts. The findings shall contribute to the policy framework that manages the application of Artificial Intelligence in India. By working on the socio-psychological, ethical, technical, and organizational issues related to the misinformation phenomenon, this study hopes to contribute to sustaining a society that nurtures basic rights, human values, growth mindset and uphold democratic values.
GRANT INFORMATION
- Principal Investigator: Prof Chhanda Chakraborti
- Co-Principal Investigators: Dr Ankita Sharma, Dr Prasenjeet Tribhuvan, Dr Rajendra Nagar
- Grantee Organization: Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), India
- Grant Period: From March 2022 to March 2024
- Grant Type: Research Project Grant
- Focus Area: Misinformation, Disinformation and Technologically Manipulated Information
- Policy Areas: Prevention and Mitigation of the threat posed to the social harmony and individual well-being by fake news, fake videos, ‘deep fake’, misinformation, hate speech etc.
OUR TEAM MEMBERS
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
