Disinformation

AI

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is a machine-based system designed to operate with varying levels of autonomy and that may exhibit adaptiveness after deployment and that, for explicit or implicit objectives, infers, from the input it receives, how to generate outputs such as predictions, content, recommendations, or decisions that can influence physical or virtual environments.

Algorithm

Algorithms are human-programmed instructions that tell computers step by step what to do and in what order to solve tasks and analyze data according to specific rules.

Conspiracy Theories

Conspiracy theories are narratives or beliefs that attribute significant historical events or situations to secret, often malicious machinations of a small, hidden group, often diverging from the prevailing opinion and lacking sufficient credible evidence.

Debunking

Exposing wrong/misleading/manipulative information with a factual basis. 

Deepfake

Deepfakes are deceptively realistic manipulated images, audio, or video recordings. They are created with the help of artificial intelligence.

Disinformation

Disinformation is false information which deliberately intends to mislead or manipulate—intentionally misstating the facts to follow one’s own agenda.

Echo Chamber

An echo chamber arises when people primarily consume information that corresponds to their already existing opinions. This way, people often surround themselves with like-minded individuals who share and reinforce their position. Unlike filter bubbles, where algorithms select the information, the echo chamber is created by the individual's personal selection behavior.

Fact Checking

Fact Checking describes the examination of published content according to journalistic standards. Fact checking is a form of debunking.

Fake News

Fake news is information that conveys false claims or misrepresents facts. They can appear as text, but also in the form of images or videos, and are used for targeted and strategic opinion manipulation.

Filter Bubble

Filter bubbles lead to receiving information online that corresponds only to one’s own opinion. They arise from algorithms that analyze the activities of users on the internet and pre-select content accordingly. Through this mechanism, other arguments and perspectives are left out, which are important for forming one's own opinion.

Misinformation

Misinformation is misleading, inaccurate, or entirely false information that is spread without the explicit intention of deception, as the disseminator is not aware of the lack of truthfulness of the information.

Prebunking

Preventive education about the mechanisms of disinformation by providing information and analytical tools to strengthen resilience to misleading content.

Propaganda

Propaganda is the practice of conscious manipulation of individuals in their thinking, acting and feeling. (Focus: political field)

Social Bot

Social bots (short for social robots) are automated software programs that mimic human behavior on social networks and imitate real users.