A recent Eurobarometer survey found that Maltese citizens are significantly more concerned that the European Union average about fake AI-generated content, disinformation and online risks.

The dangers of misinformation and disinformation (the latter of which is intentionally done to mislead) have been spoken about widely in Malta, and this is reflected in the responses given in the Eurobarometer survey. It shows that people have understood the warnings and recognise the danger.

Disinformation and misinformation can shape wrong opinions about an issue, create fear, and even spur hatred towards a group of people or a person.

78% of the Maltese respondents in the Eurobarometer survey said that they were 'highly worried' about disinformation, while a further 14% were moderately worried

When it comes to fake content created by Artificial intelligence, like deepfake videos or false information, 79% were highly worried, and a further 12% were moderately worried.

Indeed AI videos have been advancing at a rapid pace, to the point that it is becoming difficult for most people to identify what is real and what is not on some of them. And with the technology advancing at the rate it is, the dangers of the impacts of a video faking what a politician says, or faking a particular incident taking place, become even higher.

This rapid advancement of this technology should also be coupled with regulation requiring the clear identification of AI content, and of tools capable of deciphering what is and is not AI.

While it is good to see that a high percentage of Maltese are concerned about these issues, one must highlight the importance of media literacy and education, to help people decipher what is fake content and what could potentially be disinformation. One of the best pieces of advice one can give is to ensure that the source of the information is trustworthy.

There is another aspect of social media which isn't as often talked about, social media bubbles. People tend to follow people, channels and pages on social media that align with their views, which in turn creates a bubble of perspective, getting one side to a story, one side of an argument. In a world where comment is starting to be misconstrued as fact, this is a concern, as one side of an argument is not the whole picture. Looking beyond that bubble helps understand different perspectives.

Social media has done great things for connectivity and the spread of news, but it is also dangerous because of those who abuse it.

Checking sources, ensuring that what is being read is factual and not just comment, reading more than one view point are all ways to ensure that an informed decision is made.