As AI-generated content becomes harder to distinguish from real information, it is increasingly important to understand why some people are more vulnerable to misinformation than others.
The session explores the psychological factors that shape how people respond to false or misleading content, with a particular focus on AI-generated and online misinformation. Led by Dr Jason Potel, Visiting Researcher at Goldsmiths, it draws on existing research to show how people may be more likely to believe or share misleading information when they feel a lack of control, confidence, or social connection.
Factors discussed include: analytical thinking ability, spiritual beliefs, personality traits, political ideology, and age as well as other related variables. The session also reviews early findings on trust in Large Language Models (LLMs), including recent examples of intense parasocial relationships with Chatbots and the resulting delusional behaviour sometimes referred to in the media as ‘AI psychosis.’
Watch the recording here:
Speaker: Jason Potel, Visiting Researcher at Goldsmiths, University of London
Jason Potel received his BA in English and his BS in Cinema and Photography from Ithaca College, his MA in Film and Media Studies from Columbia University, and completed his PhD in Film and Television Studies from the University of Warwick. He specializes in hoaxes, fake news, and media literacy. Currently, he is a postdoctoral researcher in the Psychology Department at Goldsmiths, researching AI-generated misinformation and parasocial relationships with chatbots. He recently earned a certification from the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute’s Summer School on Misinformation, Disinformation, and Hate Speech. He has published in In Media Res and has a chapter in the forthcoming book Studying the Unmade, Unseen, and Unreleased: Histories, Theories, Methods from Intellect Publishing, as well as another in the edited collection Haunted Cities: Spaces, Spectres, and Urban Hauntologies from University of Wales Publishing. He has worked at various documentary production companies across New York City. His podcast Snake Oil features interviews with notable figures, including 9/11 survivors, and Theranos whistleblowers.
Moderator: Raquel Miguel Serrano, Senior Researcher, EU DisinfoLab
Raquel Miguel Serrano is a senior researcher at EU DisinfoLab. She has a background in journalism and spent most of her professional career working for the German press agency DPA until 2019, when she shifted her focus to disinformation. Raquel earned a Master’s degree in Cyber Intelligence and joined EU DisinfoLab. She is the author of multiple articles, mainly focused on mis- and disinformation circulating in Spain and Germany, but also on more comprehensive topics such as the impact risk of online disinformation or pre-bunking as a tool to counter information disorders. Recently, she has been working in other areas, such as FIMI or the challenges posed by generative AI.
The opinions expressed are those of the speakers/authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of EU DisinfoLab. This webinar does not represent an endorsement by EU DisinfoLab of any organisation.