City of Bayreuth warns: Attention for false information for waste disposal!

City of Bayreuth warns: Attention for false information for waste disposal!

The city of Bayreuth is currently in focus when it comes to the spread of misinformation for waste disposal. Residents are urgently warned not to rely on information generated by artificial intelligence (AI) in search engines. As the city administration emphasizes, this often false or misleading data provides questions relevant to disposal. Interrogative information appear at regular intervals that can lead to misunderstandings, and the city calls for citizens to keep up exclusively on official sources. Reliable information can be found on the website of the Stadtbauhof and in various waste apps, some of which are also provided by the city. This is reported by the Kurier .

But where does this concern for fake news come from? It is becoming more and more clear that artificial intelligence not only plays a dangerous role in everyday life, but also in political and social information spread. Professor Stefan Feuerriegel, who heads the Institute of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Management at LMU, indicates the enormous explosive force of AI generated disinformation. With the help of the latest technologies, convincing texts, images and even voices can be generated, which are often hardly recognizable as a fake. An example that remains in the memory of many is the virally widespread AI generated picture of Pope Francis that misleaded people worldwide. The details depend on: Despite technological progress, AI still has difficulties with certain aspects such as the representation of hands or complex backgrounds. However, these shortcomings can be compensated for by personalizing the content and target group-oriented approach, such as Ludwig Maximilian University

The risk of disinformation

fake news and disinformation find fertile soil on social networks, which favors the spread of such incorrect information. According to the Federal Center for Political Education, less than 1 % of the content consumed on the Internet are to be classified as fake news. However, it is worrying that such content is often consumed particularly intensively in certain social groups. A low advance of trust in political and media institutions promotes susceptibility to such reports. This can also be seen in the events related to Donald Trump's elections or the Brexit referendum, where false information was spread. Interestingly, empirical research on the subject of fake news and disinformation in recent years has increased suddenly - not least in response to the changed political framework and the use of social media. The Federal Center for Political Education .

A point that is repeatedly taken up in recent discussions is the role of media literacy. Experts agree: media literacy is the key to combating fake news. Users should learn to critically question information and to compare various sources in order to counteract the flood of disinformation. Political actors are also required to take efficient measures and to support initiatives such as "EU vs. disinfo". These fighters are trying to set uniform standards in combating fake news.

In times when the information landscape is becoming increasingly complex, it is crucial that both users and platform operators act proactively. Increased sensitization, transparent fact checks and a critical examination of content are essential. This is the only way to take care of each other and distinguish the truth from the lie - a challenge that affects us all and whose coping in our digitized world is becoming more important.