“Disinformation in the Digital Age,” a free non-partisan public information program, will be held Thursday, Sept. 5, 7:30-8:30 p.m. at the Lyric Theatre, 135 College Ave. in Blacksburg.
The program’s focus will include social media, generative AI, fact-checking, finding reliable sources and how all of this may impact elections. The program will conclude with a Q&A, and with tips for responding to disinformation.
Aaraj Vij and Jeremy Swack, the program speakers, hold seven years of experience in research and development in the mis/disinformation sector. As Co-directors of W&M DisinfoLab, Vij and Swack led the design and execution of multidisciplinary research on our information environment, including the impacts of social media and generative AI. They have spoken at events hosted by NATO Headquarters, the Global Research Institute, and the Data & Democracy National Security Conference. After years of researching mis/disinformation, Vij and Swack founded VerbaAI LLC to develop tools to strengthen our information environment.
The program is sponsored by Defending Democracies, a local non-partisan grassroots organization and VTEngage: The Center for Leadership and Service Learning at Virginia Tech.
Defending Democracies
