Canadians Express Confidence in Ability to Spot Fake News Without Government Help

Canadians Trust Their Skills in Detecting Fake News without Government Assistance

March 20, 2024 TruthUSA

According to a survey, Canadians are adept at identifying fake news online without government assistance, but they are less certain when it comes to AI-generated content.

Federal focus group results showed that some participants had concerns about the government positioning itself as a disinformation authority.

The publication stated, “Most participants expressed confidence in their ability to distinguish between real and false information on the internet, at least most of the time.”

Participants also expressed reservations about the federal government declaring what is true or false.

The data was gathered from questionnaires distributed to eight focus groups across various regions in Canada. The report, costing $45,192, was commissioned to Ekos Research Associates.

Defining ‘Misinformation’

In 2023, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the issue of misinformation to a group of students at the University of Ottawa.

He differentiated between “misinformation” and “disinformation,” stating that disinformation involves spreading false information unknowingly, while misinformation is a deliberate act of sharing falsehoods for various motives.

Trudeau stressed the importance of trusting experts in determining the truth and urged acceptance of scientific facts as a basis for distinguishing truth from falsehood.

‘Misinformation’ and AI

Research from Ipsos revealed that many Canadians feel vulnerable due to the proliferation of AI-generated content.

Ipsos’ data from 29 countries indicated that two-thirds of individuals are confident in discerning fact from fiction, but Canadians exhibit the highest concern about the worsening impact of AI on misinformation.

According to Mike Colledge, President of Ipsos Canada, Canadians perceive a lack of oversight as the number of media outlets diminishes, leading to heightened vulnerability.

Another survey highlighted that approximately half of Canadians lack confidence in distinguishing between AI-generated and human-created content, with over half reporting encountering misleading AI-generated content in the recent past.

The survey, conducted by Maru Public Opinion on behalf of The Canadian Journalism Foundation, also revealed that the majority of Canadians doubt the government’s ability to regulate companies producing AI-generated content online.

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