The Cognitive Crucible #208 Rand Waltzman on Disinformation 101
Nov 20, 2024
Rand Waltzman, an Adjunct Senior Information Scientist at the RAND Corporation with 40 years of experience in AI, dives deep into the nuances of disinformation. He introduces the Disinformation 101 series, aimed at empowering individuals against false narratives. The discussion highlights tactics of disinformation, including cognitive denial of service, and underscores the need for critical thinking. Waltzman emphasizes individual responsibility in combating misinformation and the complexities of conspiracy beliefs, advocating for a proactive approach in the digital age.
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Understanding Disinformation Tactics
- Understand how disinformation attacks work to better recognize them.
- The Disinformation 101 series offers insights from the attacker's perspective.
Cognitive vs. Technical Attacks
- Cognitive attacks exploit human psychology, not computer systems.
- Unlike technical attacks, there are no reliable automated tools to detect them.
Cognitive Denial-of-Service Attack Example
- One example of a cognitive denial-of-service attack involves flooding a target website with confusing posts.
- This creates chaos, driving away legitimate users without technically overwhelming the server.
