DisInfo Watch 07: Impact of AI on Hot Wars

Fractured

Investigative journalist Nick Muller is back on "The “Watch” to unpack the overwhelming chaos of information in today's digital landscape. The challenges faced by fact-checkers are unparelled amidst a barrage of misinformation, particularly during times of conflict, and perhaps for the first time decisions made during “hot wars” are impacted by AI and deliberate disinformation. Nick helps us dive deeper into the tool kit fact-checkers and verifiers use on a daily basis, plus the steps we all can and need to take in verifying information on our social media feeds.

SPECIAL GUEST:

Nicholas Muller- investigative journalist, Regular Contributor for The Diplomat

LEARN MORE:

STANDARD PROCEDURES FOR DATA VERIFICATIONData Journalism Tool Kit:

https://datajournalism.com/read/handbook/verification-1/verifying-images/4-verifying-images

Bellingcat Tool Kit:

https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/

Poynter Global Fact-Checking Network: https://www.poynter.org/ifcn/

TOOLS OF VERIFICATIONREVERSE IMAGE SEARCH

Google Lens: https://lens.google/

Tin Eye:https://tineye.com/

Yandex Image Search (Russian Google): https://yandex.com/images/

REPUTABLE & TRUSTED VERIFCATION DEPARTMENTSBBC VERIFY: https://www.bbc.com/news/bbcverify

AP NEWS FACT CHECK:https://apnews.com/ap-fact-check

REUTERS FACT CHECK: https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/

AFP FACT CHECK: https://factcheck.afp.com/

ARD FACT FINDER: https://www.fact-finder.com/

NY TIMES FACT CHECK: https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/fact-checks

FAKE MEDIA EXAMPLES DISCUSSED IN EPISODEDOWNED ISRAELI F-35 IN IRAN:

https://www.npr.org/2025/06/26/nx-s1-5442682/ai-chatbots-fact-check-videos-images-israel-iran

ISRAEL BOMBS IRAN "WITHOUT MERCY”(Recycled footage from US ‘Shock & Awe’ bombing of Baghdad, 2003): https://www.dw.com/en/fact-check-ai-chatbot-grok-wrongly-identifies-old-iraq-footage-as-2025-iran-israel-conflict/a-72950293

ARD FACT FINDER- IRAN BOMBS ISRAEL" https://www.tagesschau.de/faktenfinder/iran-israel-fakes-100.html

AI-DETECTION SOFTWAREDEEPWARE.AIDeepware.ai Deepfake Detected: https://scanner.deepware.ai/result/3781629de083ecdef14b534c31611962686a7376-1751601781/PERPLEXITY.AIhttps://www.perplexity.ai/

SUPPORT: "Fractured" is an original production of ReFOCUS Media Labs citizen journalists. To support this program donate on ⁠https://refocusmedialabs.org/donate

or join us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/refocusmedialabs

PRODUCTION FAMILY:

Host: Douglas Herman

Production Family:

Sude Fazlollah, Eli Fazlollah, Dawoud Nouri, Rasheed Ghalli,Lotta Luley, Federico Rinaldi, Dariia Stepanova

Citizen Journalists:

Yaser Taheri, Milad Ebrahimi, Yaser Akbari, Naqib Rasuli, Mohammad Ali Alami

Mentorship: Douglas Herman

Producers: Sonia Nandzik-Herman, Douglas Herman

Graphic Design: Eli Fazlollah for designs by Eli go to: ⁠https://refocusmedialabs.org/shop⁠

MUSIC:

Theme- "Intro for Legends" by Bonkers Beat Club (Epidemic Sound)

Additional- "Mogul" by Blue Steel (Epidemic Sound)

SPECIAL THANKS:

To the extended ReFOCUS Family for their dedication, passion and creativity all year long. We’re not where we are today without all the effort from Florian Krauer, Louise Holm, Chryssa Kouroukli, Natalia Tsarenko, Fine Bieler, Tommaso Stingo, Nazanin Foroghi, Yaser Akbari, Dariia Stepanova, Rada Valchanova, Walker Watson, Eleonora Giacomelli, Joseph Murray, Omer Butt, Wojtek Paluch, Matthew Goncalves O’Kelly, Jennifer Perez, Jule Pehnt, Majid Bakhshi, Paul “Al” Simon, Jaime Moro Saavedra, Joëlle Hübscher, Beni Rietmann, Jakob Mayr, Jurek Edel, Francisco Ibanez, Bart Van Son, Federico Bustamente, Myriam Rey, Lotta Luley and Federico Rinaldi. Daniela Jimenez, Andrii Zhuhai, Wendy Wongani Hara, Lorraine Muchangi, Aya Bennani, Fatima Al Ali, Karina Kozlowska, Dominika Pawlik, Grace Neely and Giulia Lauricella.

CONTACT:

Thoughts or questions about this episode? Suggestions for topics we can cover later in the season?

Contact: ⁠[email protected]