Synthetic Truths: Generative AI and the Future of Mis/Disinformation
Today's Events | Alumni Hall, 111
How are breakthroughs in generative AI reshaping the ways false narratives are manufactured and disseminated? In this talk, Adam Peruta, program director of the Advanced Media Management M.S. program at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, will address the rapidly evolving capabilities of generative AI models and how they work, and explore the high-speed, large-scale production of misleading media. He will also build awareness for the ethical and legal complexities of AI-generated media, including bias, copyright infringement, and the challenges of detecting synthetic content.Drawing on the Newhouse School’s recent experience with a DARPA-funded project to develop AI detection tools, he will demo the tools and strategies to identify and counter AI-driven disinformation campaigns. He will also prepare you for the emergence of agentic AI — systems that can operate with increasing autonomy — and the profound implications these technologies have for misinformation and disinformation in both journalism and public discourse. This talk will equip attendees with a deeper understanding of the digital arms race between generative AI and the efforts to maintain truth and integrity in media.Adam Peruta is an associate professor in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and the director for the Advanced Media Management master’s program — a program that puts students at the intersection of media, technology, and business, all with a focus on emerging technologies. Through his teaching and research, he examines issues such as how generative AI will impact the future of the media business and how media and communications professionals must adapt emerging technologies such as this. Adam is co-author of PROMPT, a series of practical guides to the foundational skills required for using language models like ChatGPT.
