Microsoft to collaborate on media literacy project as AI raises concerns
The project has been conducted in partnership with Trust Project and involves displaying credibility check ads on Microsoft users’ online news articles, guiding readers to trust Indicators for assessing news source credibility.
Microsoft and the Trust Project have joined forces in a media literacy project highlighting the public’s strong desire for accurate and reliable online information. The project includes displaying credibility check ads on online news articles for Microsoft users. These ads lead readers to the Trust Project’s ‘8 Trust Indicators’, which help assess the credibility of news sources.
People who engaged with the project expressed increased confidence in identifying reliable news and combating misinformation. This success suggests that media literacy can be a cost-effective solution to the problem of online misinformation. Other initiatives promoting critical thinking and media literacy, such as Google’s educational videos, have also yielded positive results.
The Microsoft ads attracted double the website visitors over six months, with 62% reporting improved confidence in online information. The importance of media literacy has grown in light of advancements in deepfakes and AI, as they contribute to the spread of disinformation.
While Microsoft is actively working on its media trust program to combat misinformation, its AI ventures may inadvertently have the opposite effect. European regulators have urged tech companies, including Microsoft, Google, and Facebook’s Meta, to label AI-generated content to ensure transparency and prevent confusion about its source.
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