Search, Recommendation and infodemics: spreading misinformation versus editorializing the truth
July 14, 16:00-17:30
Room: «Teatro Francisco de Rojas», Floor: 2
Moderator
Laura Dietz
(University of New Hampshire, USA)
Panelists
(University of Connecticut)
(University of Amsterdam, Netherlands)
(Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, USA)
(Microsoft Research New England, USA)
(NIST, USA)
(Queen Mary University of London, UK)
Abstract
Search and Recommendation engines act as an editorial board for online information: if it does not appear in their rankings, it does not exist. And of course, the Peter Parker principle applies: a great power comes with a great responsibility. Unfortunately, algorithmic ranking, combined with human cognitive biases, has been a key factor in the current misinformation pandemic.
In this panel, we will try to diagnose the current situation and discuss potential solutions, addressing topics such as: Is manual intervention of algorithmic rankings appropriate? How? Under which conditions? And how is this different from editorializing the truth? Are there unsupervised algorithmic solutions to fight misinformation that do not depend on editorial decisions on manually annotated data? How are the key technological players dealing with these issues?