For the avoidance of doubt, I am writing this column, writes Clinton Rogers.
I am not a robot.
I am not Artificial Intelligence (I shall ignore snide remarks about intelligence per se!).
But it truly is getting increasingly difficult to spot the real from the fake, to differentiate between truth and lie.
It is deeply alarming and I genuinely believe it poses a real threat to society as a whole, even to democracy.
That isn’t me being alarmist.
It is already happening in real life.
This month council officials in Yorkshire warned that misinformation was already having a serious effect on this year’s elections, with fake council posters appearing across the county and online.
Publicity which was influencing voters.
The chief constable of West Midlands was forced to resign after he admitted that his decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from a football match against Aston Villa was based partly on “evidence” gathered by Artificial Intelligence – intelligence which wasn’t real.
It even referenced a football match that never took place!
It really is dangerous.
And don’t just take my word for it.
Read More
Clinton Rogers: Are we becoming too fragile to face the discomforts of everyday life?
Clinton Rogers: Here's what I'd like to see in Somerset in 2026
Clinton Rogers: This new word I learned over Christmas is a nasty bug
University of Birmingham researcher Dr Merten Reglitz has been studying this topic for some time.
He asserts that: "The real danger lurks in the corrosive impact these online lies have on citizens’ trust in their democracy."
I spend an unhealthy amount of time scrolling on Facebook.
I used to enjoy it, but not now.
Every time I see what seems to be an interesting story or an engaging video, I have to question whether it’s real or fake.
I was disgusted to see a prominent TV presenter having to take to social media to let people know she wasn’t dying, that the pictures of her in a hospital bed were completely false.
Ever so convincing, but not real.
The problem is strikingly widespread.
In the UK and beyond, broadcasters and celebrities such as A Place in the Sun’s Laura Hamilton have spoken about being targeted with AI-generated explicit videos made from their own images, a violation that has left even friends and family unsure what is real and what is not.
And when even those nearest and dearest to us are starting to doubt what they see or hear or read, isn’t that worrying?
How do we combat it?
Well, as a journalist who used to lecture to younger BBC staff, I would encourage everyone to check at least three sources before believing a particular story.
In the age of Google, it’s not hard.
Just a modicum of research will rapidly expose fake news.
It is sad that we need to do this, but welcome to the 21st century!
