How can Artificial Intelligence Combat Disinformation?

To watch this past event, click play on the video below:

This event is part of an ongoing collaboration between Monash Law and Monash IT focusing on Ethics in AI.

Social media use has given rise to many public policy concerns about so-called ‘fake news’: unwitting misinformation and deliberate disinformation.

In this Changemakers event, we explore the different multidisciplinary challenges this presents, and some solutions being deployed. With 6 expert speakers from a variety of backgrounds, we explore fundamental questions in how Artificial Intelligence, digital technology more broadly and law and public policy can regulate disinformation.

Who is responsible and who can be held to account? Are the same politicians and social media giants both the cause of the problem and the source of the proclaimed solution?

We will look at the scientific research that can help us safeguard democracy and free expression, including citizens’ right to be informed.

This event will be held in person and online via Zoom.

Panellists

Presenter: Professor Monica Whitty, Head of Department of Software Systems and Cybersecurity and Professor of Human Factors in Cyber Security, Monash University

Professor Monica Whitty is the Head of Department of Software Systems and Cybersecurity and is Professor of Human Factors in Cyber Security. She has been a member of the World Economic Forum Cyber Security Centre and was a member of the WEF Cyber Security Global Futures Committee. Prof Whitty is the author of over 100 articles and 5 books. She is a leading expert on cyber fraud (esp. romance scams), identities created in cyberspace, online security risks, behaviour in cyberspace, insider threat, as well as detecting and preventing deception, such as cyberscams and mis/disinformation. Monica is also currently on a talkback radio program on ABC Cairns to provide help and feedback to prevent scam victimization.

Commentator: Associate Professor Yuan-Fang Li, Department of Data Science & Artificial Intelligence (DS+AI), Monash University

Yuan-Fang Li is an Associate Professor in the Department of Data Science & Artificial Intelligence (DSAI), Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University. Yuan-Fang's current research interests include knowledge graphs, natural language processing, and representation learning of networks/graphs. More information about his work can be found on his personal homepage.

Presenter: Research Professor John Cook, Climate Change Communication Research Hub, Monash University

John Cook is a postdoctoral research fellow with the Climate Change Communication Research Hub at Monash University. His research focus is on developing interdisciplinary solutions to misinformation about climate change, such as detecting misinformation claims using machine learning and using critical thinking to build public resilience. He recently released the Cranky Uncle game, combining critical thinking, cartoons, and gamification to build players’ resilience against misinformation. He currently works with organizations like Facebook, NASA, and UNICEF to develop evidence-based responses to misinformation.

Commentator: Associate Professor Michelle Lazarus, Director, Monash Centre for Human Anatomy Education (CHAE) and Deputy Head of Department (Education), Anatomy & Developmental Biology, Biomedical Discovery Institute.

Associate Professor Michelle Lazarus serves as the Director of the Monash Centre for Human Anatomy Education (CHAE) and Deputy Head of Department (Education) for Anatomy & Developmental Biology within the Biomedical Discovery Institute. Additionally, she is the Curriculum Integration Network lead within the Monash Centre Scholarship in Health Education (MCSHE) as well as a Monash Education Academy Fellow, anatomy education discipline lead within the medical curriculum, and a core member of the General Surgical Science Examination Board for Royal Australian College of Surgeons.

Presenter: Associate Professor Michael Veale, University College London

Michael Veale is Associate Professor in digital rights and regulation at University College London's Faculty of Laws. His research focusses on how to understand and address challenges of power and justice that digital technologies and their users create and exacerbate, in areas such as privacy-enhancing technologies and machine learning. This work is regularly cited by legislators, regulators and governments, and Dr Veale has consulted for a range of policy organisations includingthe Royal Society and British Academy, the Law Society of England and Wales, the European Commission, the Commonwealth Secretariat. Dr Veale holds a PhD from UCL, a MSc from Maastricht University and a BSc from LSE. He tweets at @mikarv.

Commentator and Moderator: Professor Chris Marsden, Professor of Artificial Intelligence, Technology and the Law, Monash University

Chris Marsden is Professor of Artificial Intelligence, Technology and the Law at Monash University and an expert on Internet and digital technology law, having researched and taught in the field since 1995. Chris researches regulation by code - whether legal, software or social code. He is author of five monographs including "Net neutrality" (2017), "Regulating Code" (2013 with Prof. Ian Brown), "Internet Co-regulation" (2011). He is author of many refereed articles, book chapters, professional articles, keynote addresses, and other scholarly contributions. He joins Monash from Sussex Law School, where he was Professor of Law (2013-22) and the founder and Director of the Centre for Information Governance Research (@SussCIGR) and Co-Investigator in the UK Trusted Autonomous Systems Governance and Regulation consortium (UKRI-EPSRC @tas_governance) and Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy (UKRI-ESRC @Centre4ITP).

Event partners

This event is a collaboration between Monash Law and Monash IT

Change Makers Series

Introducing Change Makers, a thought leadership series which brings together the best academic, judicial and industry minds to solve some of the biggest problems facing our society.

At Monash Law we produce influential research which seeks to engage with our local and global communities, and impact positively on people’s lives.

Change Makers is more than just another series of speeches. Change Makers aims to be the catalyst for creating real change by providing follow-up opportunities for action and collaboration.