[CXOTALK FRIDAY] How AI-Driven Disinformation Works (and How to Stop It)

As AI rapidly advances, bad actors are exploiting these powerful tools to create and spread misinformation at an unprecedented scale. In CXOTalk episode 844, host Michael Krigsman speaks with Darren Linvill and Patrick Warren, Co-Directors of the Media Forensics Hub at Clemson University, to explore the growing threat of AI-driven disinformation campaigns.

Linvill and Warren will share insights from their recent report, "Old Despots, New Tricks," which uncovers a large-scale, AI-empowered influence operation linked to the Rwandan government. The researchers break down the sophisticated tactics used in this campaign, including AI-generated text, synthetic media, and coordinated messaging to attack critics and shape public narratives. They also discuss the broader implications of AI-driven misinformation and share strategies for enhancing digital literacy and safeguarding the information ecosystem. Join us for a timely and important conversation on the evolving landscape of disinformation in the age of AI.

They will also discuss Russian misinformation campaigns and the role of "narrative laundering."  

Watch this important episode live to interact with our guests and ask them questions directly!

Patrick Warren is an associate professor of economics who has been at Clemson since 2008. Before coming to Clemson, he studied at MIT, earning a Ph.D. in economics (2008), and an undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina Honors College (BArSc, 2001). His research investigates the operation of organizations in the economy — for-profit and non-profit firms, bureaucracies, political parties and even armies. He has written numerous peer-reviewed articles in top economics and law journals and currently serves as an associate editor of the Public Finance Review. He has served on the board of the Society for Institutional and Organizational Economics, been a visiting associate professor at Northwestern University and a visiting scholar at the RAND Corporation.

Darren Linvill is an associate professor of communication whose research explores social media disinformation and its influence on civil discourse (in and out of the classroom). He became a faculty member at Clemson after earning degrees from Wake Forest and Clemson and started studying social media in 2010. After becoming an associate professor in 2017, he delved deeper into the truth or falsity of online messaging and its effects. As a sought-after media expert, he’s contributed to many articles and broadcasts by outlets such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Bloomberg, Rolling Stone, Inside Higher Ed, The State, CNN, NPR, ABC, NBC, WFAE and others.

Michael Krigsman is an industry analyst and publisher of CXOTalk. For three decades, he has advised enterprise technology companies on market messaging and positioning strategy. He has written over 1,000 blogs on leadership and digital transformation and created almost 1,000 video interviews with the world’s top business leaders on these topics. His work has been referenced in the media over 1,000 times and in over 50 books. He has presented and moderated panels at numerous industry events around the world.

June 28: Professors Patrick Warren and Darren Linville, Media Forensics Hub, Clemson Univ.

July 12: Don Vu, Chief Data and Analytics Officer, New York Life

August 23: Bryan Offutt, Partner, Index Ventures