The proliferation of fake news presents a significant challenge for businesses globally.
Companies are turning to artificial intelligence to help prevent their adverts from being associated with fake content.
Artificial intelligence is emerging as a key player in the battle against fake news. Companies are increasingly utilizing AI to ensure advertisements do not appear next to fake or malicious content online. This move is crucial as last year saw major companies withdraw ad spending from platforms like Google and Facebook due to concerns over brand safety.
Factmata, a London-based start-up, has developed AI software designed to identify and eliminate fake news, thereby cutting revenue to malicious websites. The company focuses on counteracting misinformation, hyper-partisanship, and hate speech, as explained by Anant Joshi, Factmata’s chief revenue officer.
Traditional methods of ad placement based on keyword blacklisting often fall short. Joshi illustrates this with the example of ‘black and white’ inadvertently leading to unrelated content. Factmata’s AI employs machine learning to evaluate webpage text based on pre-established datasets, identifying problematic content effectively.
One of Factmata’s standout features is its ‘credibility engine,’ which detects hyper-partisan content, hate speech, and clickbait. The company’s vision is to shift content valuation from social media shares to a credibility score. By assessing a site’s language and content, the AI assigns a credibility score, helping advertisers place ads next to unbiased content.
Joshi acknowledges the challenge of defining bias, both for humans and AI. To address this, Factmata has introduced ‘Briefr,’ a product integrating input from external experts and journalists. Briefr invites them to annotate biased content, which AI then uses to refine its assessments independently.
Joshi envisions Factmata’s technology extending beyond media and advertising into sectors like government and finance. The AI could, for instance, assist hedge funds in analyzing fake news influencing trading decisions. There is potential for applications in health data management as well.
Though currently focused on text analysis, Factmata is exploring video content evaluation. As video becomes a dominant form of content, it presents challenges in brand safety. Factmata is conducting proof-of-concept tests to tackle these issues, aligning with its mission to protect brands across media formats.
AI’s role in fighting fake news offers hope for a future where brands can confidently engage with media without compromising their integrity.
As AI continues to evolve, its applications are likely to expand, making it an indispensable tool in various industries.
