Mastodawn

"The LA wildfires showed that misinformation during climate disasters is not merely online confusion, but a problem that fuels distrust of and attacks on experts, weakens their public speech, and ultimately threatens citizens’ safety and access to accurate information." https://www.resilience.org/stories/2026-03-10/when-experts-go-silent-climate-misinformation-threatens-rights/ #Climate #InformationPollution

When Experts Go Silent: Climate Misinformation Threatens Rights

The lesson shown by the LA wildfires is clear. When misinformation turns experts into targets of distrust and attack and weakens their public speech, the public is ultimately pushed further away from life-saving information at the moment they are most vulnerable.

resilience

Vassil Nikolov | Васил Николов Feb 2

Information pollution is hitting us in a series of powerful waves like the next generation after industrial pollution.

From the article:

«Dr Manny Ahmed, CEO of OpenOrigins, a company that distinguishes between AI and real images, says we need a new way for real content posters to be able to prove their clips and pictures are genuine.

"We are already at the point where you cannot confidently tell what is real by inspection alone," he says. "Instead of trying to detect what is fake, we need infrastructure that allows real content to publicly prove its origin."»

BBC article:
AI 'slop' is transforming social media - and there's a backlash
<https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9wx2dz2v44o>

#InformationEnvironment
#InformationPollution
#Pollution

AI 'slop' is transforming social media - and there's a backlash

Social media has been flooded with fake, AI-generated images and videos. But will the majority of users actually care?

Headlines Africa May 7, 2025

Africa: World Press Freedom Day 2025 - Call to Protect Elections From AI 'Information Pollution': [IPS] United Nations -- The prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the flow and access of information, which has a wider influence on how freedom of expression is affected. National and local elections can demonstrate the particular strengths and vulnerabilities… http://newsfeed.facilit8.network/TKcStK #PressFreedom #WorldPressFreedomDay #AIandElections #FreedomOfExpression #InformationPollution

Quincy ⁂Jan 17, 2025

stumbled over an "ai generated abstract" at some "scientific publisher" site.

navigated away immediately.

at least they still had the residual decency to mark it as such.

#InformationPollution

Chuckling Duck Jan 4, 2025

A most fascinating rabbit hole!

Thanks @futurebird for the spark and @faassen for digging deep!

#wikipedia #ai #history #InformationPollution

https://blog.startifact.com/posts/the-curious-case-of-quentell/

The Curious Case of Quentell

I go on a journey to learn about a man named Quentell, and discover unsettling things about the information landscape.

Secret Weblog

wuergler Apr 6, 2024

Gary Marcus again ... writing about the threat of information pollution

"... the problem is quickly getting worse."
"If we don’t get a handle on this problem, fast, nobody will believe anything."

Overly pessimistic or just (beginning) reality?

https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/information-pollution-reaches-new

#marcus #garymarcus #infopollution #informationpollution #misinformation #enshittification #threattodemocracy #llm #garbage #chatgpt #chatbot #ai

Information pollution reaches new heights

AI is making shit up, and thar made-up stuff is trending on X

Marcus on AI

DigitalNaiv = Stefan Pfeiffer Nov 21, 2023

Information pollution. Vor 20 Jahren kam der Gedanke auf, dass unnütze, falsche und vor allem übermäßig viele Informationsschnipsel einen schmutzigen Schleier erzeugen können, so als würde jemand Müll in einen klaren Fluss kippen.
Heute beschreibt Marcus Bösch mit dem Begriff den wirbelnden, irren Strom aus Bildern, Behauptungen und Videos, der uns aus, zu oder über Israel und Gaza erreicht. #ZEIT
#InformationPollution #FakeNews
https://www.zeit.de/digital/internet/2023-11/nahostkonflikt-desinformation-propaganda-israel-gaza-krieg

Desinformation im Nahostkonflikt: Krass, ist das echt?

Der Infomüll im Israel-Hamas-Konflikt ist allgegenwärtig. Wie Forscher und Faktenchecker die größten Lügen aufklären. Und wo ihnen Russen, Iraner und Chinesen begegnen.

ZEIT ONLINE

Erin Conroy Oct 6, 2023

#InformationPollution #AIgarbage

I did a thread a bit ago on AI as pollution, & how it would be weaponized for disinformation, but I still haven’t managed Mastodon searching successfully.

I’ve seen a bunch of examples popping up. So anyway here’s another one.

“we may see people use Al-generated content to intentionally manipulate search results…“You're going to increasingly see inaccuracies [that can be] wielded without that much computer savvy,” Tripodi says”

https://www.wired.com/story/fast-forward-chatbot-hallucinations-are-poisoning-web-search/

Chatbot Hallucinations Are Poisoning Web Search

Untruths spouted by chatbots ended up on the web—and Microsoft's Bing search engine served them up as facts. Generative AI could make search harder to trust.

WIRED

Stuart

Aug 17, 2023

So Bing now uses their predictive text to generate summaries of places for travellers it seems. I looked up my local area. It invents a lake (there is a pond) and mini-golf in the local park. It claims you can catch a "regular performance" at the local Arts Society (although they are artists, not actors). #InformationPollution

Mozilla News & Updates May 24, 2023

🚀Breaking News🚀
#YouTubeRegrets has been recognized by the @DPGAlliance and @UNDP for its innovative efforts to combat #InformationPollution at the #NobelPrizeSummit 🎉 🎉

Discover more about this groundbreaking initiative here👇
https://digitalpublicgoods.net/information-pollution/

Original tweet : https://twitter.com/mozilla/status/1661403048759943168