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Fight against Russian disinformation: This is how the TU Berlin protects us!
Dr. Veronika Solopova from TU Berlin is developing AI tools against disinformation, especially in the context of the Ukraine war.
Fight against Russian disinformation: This is how the TU Berlin protects us!
The dangers of disinformation are omnipresent in today’s digital landscape. Russian disinformation campaigns in particular have become increasingly influential in recent years, affecting political discourse in many countries, including Germany. Dr. Veronika Solopova, a leading linguist and computer scientist at the TU Berlin, is dedicated intensively to analyzing and combating these phenomena.
With her newly developed AI tool “Check News in One Click,” Solopova can detect disinformation in seven different languages with 93% accuracy. This technology is used to address the growing challenges of fake news and disinformation as they continue to evolve. Solopova and her team have launched the CORRECTIV.Faktenforum platform, which enables citizens to actively participate in the fact-checking process and arm themselves against false information.
Disinformation strategies
Russian disinformation campaigns use a variety of strategies, including fake websites, bot networks and targeted narratives aimed at creating public confusion. Particularly during the Ukraine war, propaganda has shifted to focus on stoking hopelessness and destabilizing Western support. Common narratives include: “Ukraine has no chance of winning,” “The West will betray us,” and “The mobilization is collapsing.”
In Germany, social media is specifically used to create a mood against migrants and Ukraine. According to research by CORRECTIVE The Russian influence operation “Storm-1516” plays a central role by spreading false information through AI-powered deepfakes. These fakes have had a significant impact on the campaign for the federal election in Germany in recent months. Claims about leading politicians and a migration agreement with Kenya are just a few examples of the disinformation spread by a network of over a hundred German-language websites.
Not only an ex-police officer from the USA is responsible for this operation, but also the Internet Research Agency (IRA) and the military secret service GRU. These actors use AI technologies to create fake content that is then shared by pro-Russian influencers on social media, sometimes even for payment.
Measures against disinformation
The threat of fake news is not just theoretical. Low trust in political and media institutions increases susceptibility to false information. Loud bpb.de Empirical and research have shown that fake news is consumed intensively, especially in certain circles, even if it is less widespread overall. The lack of clarity around the terms and the challenges associated with them makes combating disinformation even more complicated.
To address this challenge, initiatives such as “EU vs. Disinfo” and the European Digital Media Observatory have been launched. Solopova also calls for better access to social media data in order to combat the spread of disinformation more effectively. She emphasizes how important it is that citizens learn to critically question news and actively work against the spread of disinformation.
The more informed society is, the better it can arm itself against manipulation through fake content. Only through a joint effort to promote media literacy and active engagement in fact checking can trust in the information landscape be strengthened.