Posted on 05/05/2021 8:03:21 PM PDT by yesthatjallen
Conspiracy theories circulated online via social media contribute to a shift in public discourse away from facts and analysis and can contribute to direct public harm. Social media platforms face a difficult technical and policy challenge in trying to mitigate harm from online conspiracy theory language. As part of Google's Jigsaw unit's effort to confront emerging threats and incubate new technology to help create a safer world, RAND researchers conducted a modeling effort to improve machine-learning (ML) technology for detecting conspiracy theory language. They developed a hybrid model using linguistic and rhetorical theory to boost performance. They also aimed to synthesize existing research on conspiracy theories using new insight from this improved modeling effort. This report describes the results of that effort and offers recommendations to counter the effects of conspiracy theories that are spread online.
Key Findings
* The hybrid ML model improved conspiracy topic detection.
* The hybrid ML model dramatically improved on either single model's ability to detect conspiratorial language.
* Hybrid models likely have broad application to detecting any kind of harmful speech, not just that related to conspiracy theories.
* Some conspiracy theories, though harmful, rhetorically invoke legitimate social goods, such as health and safety.
* Some conspiracy theories rhetorically function by creating hate-based "us versus them" social oppositions.
* Direct contradiction or mockery is unlikely to change conspiracy theory adherence.
Recommendations
* Engage transparently and empathetically with conspiracists.
* Correct conspiracy-related false news.
* Engage with moderate members of conspiracy groups.
* Address fears and existential threats.
SNIP
(Excerpt) Read more at rand.org ...
"Google-backed RAND report recommends infiltrating & subverting "online conspiracy groups" from within. The initial analysis was focused on online chatter relating to alien visitations, COVID-19 origins, white genocide, and anti-vaccination. - Disclose TV"
Who made them god?
If our rulers placed more importance on honesty and integrity, we wouldn’t have so many conspiracy theories. People tend not to trust liars.
I ran a forum for conspiracy theorists back in the early 90s and I can say, with no hesitation, “Go ahead! Infiltrate! Subvert all you want!” I have seen over and over and over again people trying that only to start buying into them in a kind of measured progression and, honestly, it was kinda fun to watch!
This is happening on Free Republic. A lot of the older FR ID's that were created during the early years of the 2nd Bush Administration have been coming out of the woodwork to tell us how great the Republican party is. I strongly suspect that the Bush Crime Family has a stable of paid commenters that they use to try and blunt our activism and to sow confusion.
The term "compassionate conservative" is a code word for Decipticon.
We certainly see quite a few “Debbie Downers” and defeatists post on freerepublic.
They're getting pwn3d beyond belief.
“This is happening on Free Republic.”
Absolutely. I pointed out one within the last two days. Can’t recall who it was at the moment. There are a few; some are blatantly obvious.
The following synthetic example posts are constructed from actual data to give a better sense of what we trained our model on:
• Big Pharma conducted those safety trials. The evidence is in vaccine-injured kids!
• Is this a Chinese bioweapon or a Deep State virus?
• If gunmakers can be held liable for gun-related injury or death, then why can’t Pharma be liable for vaccine-related injury or death? • The same people who wanted an end to apartheid are turning a blind eye to WG. They turn a blind eye to the Zionists murdering Palestinians.
There may have been some sleeper accounts established during the fight with Smirkingchimp.com. Certainly the 2000 election and 9-11 were ripe for ratf***ery.
The very concept of “conspiracy theory” died in 2020. The amount of deception, falsehood, maliciousness, and cooperation with evil that we’ve seen from our own governments in that time period have demonstrated, beyond doubt, that our governments are acting against their people. It is merely, then, a matter of determining exactly which of their actions are active maliciousness and which are merely incompetence.
The true delusional conspiracy theory, at this point, is that there are NOT any malicious actions by our government, and that any resistance to government actions and edicts are due to some sort of evil plot by the resistors. “White supremacy” falls into this category, and is one of the biggest conspiracy theories out there.
Who cares if someone posts conspiracy theory on social media? It’s social media! If someone posts something lame, other users can ‘socially’ chime in and call them lame. We don’t need AI or H1-B visa holders to decide it for us.
Commence circular firing squad ...shoot the mole!
You guys are funny.
If everyone just knows covid’s a scam, is it a conspiracy? No. Go get your vaccine if you want, put on that condom that stops HIV, pollute your body with birth control but stop GMO’s, and abortion is legal so it must be ok.
I’m a Jesus Freak. Yep. Feeble minded and yet, dangerous as hell.
Can’t remember who it was, but the poster said Trump hurt himself by being “bombastic”. Then there was another who said he would never vote for a Republican, not even Trump.
RAND/GoogEVIL apologia for total bigtech censorship
This explains a few of the Pro-vaxxers on Freerepublic that joined recently to shill for Big Pharma/Deep State
“Social Media” is an oxymoron.
LOL , just recently now if you GOOGLE “event 201” a whole big list of hired fact checkers comes up to the top, shaming anyone who thinks there is anything unusual about it. They claim that if anyone is suspicious of the “COVID19” extortion racket in any way, then they are in the same category as “Flat Earthers” and should be put in asylums.
....the Ministry Of Truth speaks
More gaslighting. The group presumes that the conspiracies are false, but a lot of conspiracy theories turn into conspiracy facts. What then, RAND?
People aren’t silenced because they are wrong, people are silenced because they are feared. Consider the Flat Earth society. Nearly everybody thinks they’re wrong- and yet they haven’t been silenced.
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