Mapping the New Disinformation Landscape
- TITAN
- 17 hours ago
- 2 min read
Disinformation isn’t new, but its speed, reach, and sophistication have exploded in the age of social media and AI. The open-access paper, Mapping Automatic Social Media Information Disorder: The Role of Bots and AI in Spreading Misleading Information in Society (PLOS ONE, 2024), by Andrea Tomassi, Andrea Falegnami, and Elpidio Romano, offers one of the clearest maps yet of how this phenomenon works, the disinformation landscape, and what we can do about it.
Why this paper stands out
Rather than focusing on isolated fake news stories, the authors take a system-level view of information disorder, exploring how misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation flow across platforms and topics, and how AI and bots fuel (and can also fight) these dynamics.
By analyzing patterns across social networks, the paper highlights:
How automated accounts amplify false narratives and distort public discourse.
How different platforms create unique “disinformation ecologies.”
How AI technologies, while part of the problem, can also become tools for detection, transparency, and literacy.
It’s a fascinating mix of data science, social theory, and digital ethics, accessible yet rigorous.
What makes it relevant now
If you’re working on AI governance, digital literacy, or trust frameworks, this is essential reading. The paper connects technical mechanisms (like NLP and network analysis) with human factors (like psychology, attention, and belief). It reminds us that no algorithmic fix will work without critical thinking, education, and transparency.
At a time when society is wrestling with deepfakes, echo chambers, and AI-generated content, Tomassi and colleagues show that understanding the interplay between humans, bots, and platforms is the first step toward building resilience.
Key disinformation landscape takeaway
Disinformation is not just a content problem - it’s an ecosystem problem. Combating it requires both smarter machines and wiser humans.
Why you should read it
Because this isn’t just another “AI and fake news” article, it’s a blueprint for how to think about information disorder as a system, and how to act on it collaboratively.
Take a few minutes to read the paper. It's open access, insightful, and directly relevant to how we understand truth in the algorithmic age.