AI Fact-Checking and the Politics of Misinformation

​​Join us on Zoom for the next entry in our academic series with Isolde Hegemann as we look at misinformation and the role AI can play in fighting it.

​As online misinformation continues to shape democratic life, can artificial intelligence help turn the tide? In this talk, Isolde Hegemann presents new experimental research showing that AI-powered fact-checking can be more effective than traditional methods in reducing Republicans’ engagement with political misinformation online.

​Drawing on a large-scale simulated social media study using real statements from Donald Trump, Isolde examines how different fact-checking strategies influence users’ reactions and discernment between true and false posts. Her findings suggest that Republicans may perceive AI as a more neutral and credible source than human fact-checkers—offering new insights into the psychology of misinformation and the design of interventions to counter it.

​Isolde Hegemann is a PhD candidate in the Department of Government at the London School of Economics, where she researches political communication and party competition amid the rise of the radical right.

​Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86532630149?pwd=rjFFZWDs0bc4c8c9Aaux60kE40Vg0v.1