Misinformation vs. Disinformation.

Misinformation

Misinformation, generally speaking, refers to information that is assumed to be true but is misguided. Someone passes on this information by mistake, rather than with any malicious intent.

Disinformation

Disinformation, on the other hand, is more sinister and refers to information that is intentionally, deliberately designed to confuse, mislead or polarise.  A “bad actor” creates disinformation knowing it to be false.

How AI complicates matters

AI complicates this distinction because the speed and scale at which AI-generated images circulate globally makes intent harder to prove. A real event, (such as the Bondi shootings in Australia), frames the narrative and believable, but synthetic, content allows subtle messages to be woven in, often in ways designed to deceive or influence.

What follows is the amplification of societal harm. Misinformation spreads when people mistakenly believe the narrative, image or rumour “because it sounds or looks so legitimate”.

Most people sharing AI-generated misinformation aren't being deliberately deceptive. They don't know the content is synthetic. Human instinct takes over, momentum builds, and sharing feels “helpful” to others.

And once content is widely shared, intent (deceptive or misguided) becomes irrelevant as the impact is the same. Communities become more divided and trust in each other, and technology platforms, institutions and the media can erode. Can we really trust what we are seeing with our own eyes?

How to reduce societal harm

Responsible AI applies well beyond the technical and organisational guardrails needed for the technology.

Responsible AI at a personal level is also about applying our own human judgement where systems prioritise speed and scale, and where polished outputs can outpace verification and may be mistaken for fact.

Some questions to ask to reduce societal harm caused by disinformation and misinformation:

·        Who created this?
·        Does the image or narrative ring true, given what I know already?
·        Is this presented as evidence or an illustration?
·        Does the image conflict with others I have already seen?
·        Does this information come from a verified source?
·        If I googled this, would I find it across other news feeds I trust?
·        What context might be missing?
·        What happens if this is wrong and I share it anyway?

What other questions would you add to this list?