Media Literacy

commentary

Protecting Free Speech Compels Some Form of Social Media Regulation

Given the profound challenges posed by social media, corrective measures need to go beyond “deplatforming” bad apples. But how can the United States make such a structural change without compromising the democratic tradition of free speech?

Luke J. Matthews, Heather J. Williams @HeatherJWill, et al.

blog

Nuclear Deterrence, Russia and Iran, Deepfakes: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how much is “enough” for U.S. nuclear forces, the budding Russia-Iran partnership, the challenge of detecting deepfakes, and more.

commentary

UFO Research Is Only Harmed by Antigovernment Rhetoric

There is an undercurrent of conspiracy theory and, relatedly, antigovernment sentiment brewing around the issue of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). If it grows, it could prove toxic to any factual and scientific discussion of UAPs.

Marek N. Posard @mnposard, Caitlin McCulloch

commentary

Truth Decay and National Security

Even if the U.S. national security apparatus can operate entirely outside of politics, it remains exposed to the effects of Truth Decay—the diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life. Little work is being done to understand how severe the impact of Truth Decay is on national security and, more importantly, how to mitigate it.

Heather J. Williams @HeatherJWill, Caitlin McCulloch

commentary

ChatGPT Is Creating New Risks for National Security

Large language models like ChatGPT and Claude offer a wide range of beneficial applications. But there are significant risks associated with their use that demand a coordinated effort among partner nations to forge a solid, integrated defense against the threat of malign information operations.

Christopher A. Mouton

essay

Truth Decay Is Putting U.S. National Security at Risk

Truth Decay—the diminishing role of facts and analysis in public life—could weaken the U.S. military, costs America credibility with its allies, and calls into question the nation's ability to respond to the next big crisis. How can the United States guard against these risks?

commentary

The AI Conspiracy Theories Are Coming

Artificial intelligence is a technology ready-made for conspiratorial thinking. The time to counter conspiracy theories about AI is now—before they take hold in the minds of the public.

Douglas Yeung @DouglasCYeung

commentary

How Can Platforms Deal with Toxic Content? Look to Wall Street

Social media has a content problem. It's not the content itself, although the list of toxic material is long. The problem is the sheer volume of content. Instead of trusting in self-regulation, the United States could use its regulation of Wall Street after 2008 as a roadmap for regulating tech.

James V. Marrone

commentary

The Changing Landscape of Health Literacy During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Viral Transmission of Knowledge and Information Around COVID-19

With the official public health emergency ended, now is a good time to reflect on the changing landscape of health literacy and consider how we can improve health communication in the future.

Julia Bandini, Lucy B. Schulson, et al.

commentary

ChatGPT's Work Lacks Transparency and That Is a Problem

In a world with Large Language Models such as ChatGPT, there is a growing need for modernized data literacy. Developers need to be more transparent about their algorithms and data sources so that people can assess the inherent sources of bias or problems with the approach.

Carter C. Price @CarterCPrice

blog

Dementia Rates, Deepfakes, Migrant Students: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the decline of dementia rates among Americans, the dangers of deepfakes, data privacy after the reversal of Roe v. Wade, and more.

commentary

America May Not Be Ready for the Looming Tsunami of Deepfakes

Images and videos have been falsified since the first photographs were taken. But deepfakes are fundamentally different. Their realism, and the scale and ease with which they can be produced, make them incredibly potent disinformation tools.

Jared Mondschein @JSMondschein, Christopher Joseph Doss @Chris_J_Doss, et al.

blog

Veterans Health Care, Media Literacy, Sleep Retreats: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the challenges of VA community care, the importance of improving middle schoolers' media literacy skills, tips to improve sleep, and more.

essay

Improving Media Literacy in Middle School

Middle schoolers can be savvy users of news and information—when they know where to look. But they're also easy marks for misinformation, disinformation, and trolls. Helping them find their way in today's media landscape is important both for their futures and for the future of democracy.

commentary

Facebook Misinformation Is Bad Enough. The Metaverse Will Be Worse

Virtual reality environments such as the metaverse will enable psychological and emotional manipulation of users at a level unimaginable in today's media. We must not wait until these technologies are fully realized to consider appropriate guardrails for them. We can reap the benefits of the metaverse while minimizing its potential for great harm.

Rand Waltzman