Expert Q&A from Augusta University
The Latest
All Answers
In an era where it is too easy for anyone to alter images or video, what are some of the dangers that can be associated with these deep fakes? How can this negatively impact the election, and just life in general with having this kind of misinformation out there? (1)
There can be multiple concerns regarding disinformation and elections. One, if voters make decisions about whether to vote for a candidate based on disinformation/misinformation, this is a concern for elections because in a democracy the hope is that voters can make informed voting decisions based on accurate information.
Second, if millions of people are exposed to disinformation/misinformation and only a small percentage of those are not aware that the disinformation/misinformation is false, this could have significant effects for elections. The reason is that in recent presidential elections, and likely in the upcoming election, the margin of victory in some swing states can be less than 1% of the total state vote in some cases. Thus, if only a small percentage of individuals who are exposed to disinformation/misinformation believe the information is true, and the disinformation/misinformation affects their voting decisions, that could have significant effects on the election outcome of a given swing state. Furthermore, we know that the election outcome of each swing state has important implications for the overall presidential election outcome.
Taylor Swift recently took to her Instagram page to “set the record straight” about an AI version of her that had “endorsed” Former President Donald Trump. What are some of the things people can look for to know if a celebrity has indeed endorsed a candidate? (1)
People can go to the celebrity’s social media page to see their recent social media activity. On the page, people can search for information regarding political endorsements. People should be aware that many fake and parody social media accounts exist for celebrities, so people need to make sure they locate the real social media accounts of the celebrity in question. Also, people can search reputable news sources to see if there is any verifiable information (i.e., the information has been verified by other reputable news sources) regarding celebrity endorsements.
Should people get the vaccine now in advance of a possible outbreak? (1)
Only those at risk are recommended for the vaccine, which is available at local health departments.
What should people look for and what are some of the symptoms of mpox? (1)
Signs are the sudden appearance of typical lesions, after having close contact (with or without sex) to an at-risk individual. Close contact includes sleeping together without sexual activity, hugging, kissing, etc. Fever, typically high, also is likely to be present.
Should people be prepared for an outbreak in the United States, and what can they do? (1)
We have had m-pox in the US, just not any cases of this new strain. We understand better who is at risk (especially young, sexually active men who have sex with men). We quite likely will see the new strain in the US, but I doubt that it will become endemic or epidemic here.
powered by
