The U.S. has long been plagued by misinformation. But with the widespread use of AI, the problem has been supercharged: Deepfakes. AI-manipulated photos. AI-generated videos. Our info ecosystem is now inundated with inaccurate or misleading AI-generated content — and there’s no end in sight.
Join journalist Philip Eil for a session about AI, the role it plays in creating and spreading misinformation, and how you can stay vigilant against its ill effects.
Among the questions we will answer:
- What is AI?
- What is misinformation?
- How is AI being used to create and spread misinformation?
- How is this AI misinformation affecting our society?
- Are there laws being passed, on the local or national level, regulating AI?
- What can people do to spot AI-generated content?
- And, more broadly, how can we successfully navigate a world flooded with AI-generated misinformation?
Registration is encouraged for this event. Questions? Contact Reference at reference @westerlylibrary.org or (401) 596-2877 x306
About the Presenter:
Philip Eil is an award-winning freelance journalist based in Providence, his hometown. He is the former news editor of the alt-weekly newspaper, The Providence Phoenix. Since the paper’s close in 2014, he has contributed to The Atlantic, Men’s Health, the Boston Globe, Huffington Post, and the Columbia Journalism Review, among other outlets. He has also taught writing and journalism classes at Brown University, Columbia University’s School of the Arts, and the Rhode Island School of Design. His first book, Prescription for Pain: How a Once-Promising Doctor Became the "Pill Mill Killer," was published in 2024.
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Please note:
Westerly Library & Wilcox Park staff often take photos and recordings during programs and events, which may be used in publicity and marketing. If you do not wish to have your photo used, please contact a staff member to let us know and we will make every effort to honor that request.
