To be sure, the goal should not only be to identify false or misleading information on social
media but to counter and correct this information in near real time. A first version of AIDR
was released in November 2013.
Accelerating the verification process
As noted earlier, the nascent stages of verification platforms powered by advanced computing mean that their ultimate value to the verification of user-generated content remains
to be seen. Even if these platforms bear fruit, their early iterations will face important constraints. But this early work is essential to moving toward meaningful applications of advanced computing in the verification process.
One current limitation is that AIDR and the upcoming Credibility Plugin described above
are wholly dependent on just one source: Twitter. Cross-media verification platforms are
needed to triangulate reports across sources, media and language. While Veri.ly comes close
to fulfilling this need, it relies entirely on human input, which does not scale easily.
In any event, these solutions are far from being the silver bullet of verification that many
seek. Like other information platforms, they too can be gamed and sabotaged with sufficient
time and effort. Still, these tools hold the possibility of accelerating the verification process
and are likely to only advance as more effort and investment are made in the field.
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