Ákos Szegofi - The misinformation-problem

Akos Szegofi (Central European University)

The Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh invites you to join us for our Lunch Time Talk. Attend in person at 1117 Cathedral of Learning or visit our live stream on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrRp47ZMXD7NXO3a9Gyh2sg.

Lunch Time Talk:   Ákos Szegofi

Tuesday, March 17th @ 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm EST

Title:  The misinformation-problem

Abstract:

How dangerous is misinformation? What effects does it have on beliefs and behavior, and how can we – should we? – defend against it? In recent years, two schools of thought have emerged to address these questions, that I will call “naivists” and “vigilantists.” The naivist school views misinformation as extremely dangerous, arguing that humans are overly gullible and/or lazy when evaluating communicated information, which makes them vulnerable to deception. The solution is to enhance people’s cognitive abilities and motivation. The vigilantist school holds that humans are epistemically vigilant, misinformation is not a new problem, and the solutions proposed by the naivist school have unintended consequences, such as decreasing trust in democratic processes and triggering widespread technology panic.

My research seeks to bridge these two schools by demonstrating that misinformation can be dangerous even if listeners are epistemically vigilant and update their beliefs rationally. I empirically test two, historically documented disinformation methods, then explore how modern communication environments enabled their widespread usage. I conclude by proposing structural solutions that focus on reshaping these environments, allowing listeners to trust more, instead of becoming cynical.

This talk will be available online:

Zoom: TBA

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrRp47ZMXD7NXO3a9Gyh2sg