The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a range of misleading content about testing, prevention and the origins of the disease. Inadvertently, respected friends and colleagues may also share conspiracy theories without malicious intent. However, with Presidential and Congressional elections soon approaching, fake news will be a key phenomenon influencing public opinion. Within this context, this session will discuss:

• Is the nature of misinformation different today than what it was in the lead up to the 2016 Elections?
• How is it created, amplified and spread?
• Conversations on AI ethics, that may govern how organisations identify fake news, sometimes crowd out discussions on formal law and governance that more directly respond to accountability concerns. To what extent is this an issue?
• How can AI and human fact-checkers work together to better inform the public?

Our esteemed panellists include:

• Vera Zakem, Senior Technology and Policy Advisor at Institute for Security and Technology, and CEO at Zakem Global
• Al Baker, Senior Editor, Logically
• Asha Rangappa, Legal and National Security Analyst, CNN
• Annafi Wahed, Founder and CEO of The Flip Side (Moderator)
• Baybars Örsek, Director, International Fact-Checking Network at the Poynter Institute

We look forward to your participation!