How do authoritarian governments exploit the credibility of digital platforms to shape what citizens see, know and believe? And how does the growing prevalence of AI-generated misinformation affect trust in established news sources?
These questions were at the centre of two events featuring Ruben Durante, Professor of Economics and Provost's Chair at the National University of Singapore, whose research examines political economy and the influence of traditional and digital media in democratic and non-democratic societies.
Generative AI, Misinformation and Trust in News
The day began with an Advanced Research Seminar, GenAI Misinformation, Trust, and News Consumption: Evidence from a Field Experiment. Drawing on research conducted with Filipe Campante, Felix Hagemeister and Ananya Sen, Professor Durante examined how exposure to concerns about AI-generated misinformation affects readers' trust in news and their engagement with established media organisations.
Hijacking Credibility: The Capture of Trusted Digital Platforms by Autocrats
In the evening, Professor Durante delivered a public Hoffmann Centre High Level Lecture, Hijacking Credibility: The Capture of Trusted Digital Platforms by Autocrats. The lecture explored how authoritarian regimes can exploit the established reputation and perceived neutrality of digital information platforms to influence public opinion and control information. Drawing on recent research into Russia's digital information environment, Professor Durante examined two complementary mechanisms of information control.
Explore the Research
- Platform Power in News Aggregation — CEPR Discussion Paper DP21789
- The Anatomy of Censorship and Propaganda: Evidence from Russian Wikipedias — CEPR Discussion Paper DP21698
- GenAI Misinformation, Trust, and News Consumption: Evidence from a Field Experiment — CEPR Discussion Paper DP20526
Together, these studies highlight the relationship between digital platform credibility, information control and political power, raising broader questions about transparency, accountability and the resilience of information ecosystems. Through its High Level Lecture Series and Advanced Research Seminars, the Hoffmann Centre will continue to bring leading international scholars into dialogue with the Geneva Graduate Institute's academic community and wider public.
Organised by the Hoffmann Centre for Global Sustainability, Geneva Graduate Institute.
