With a fire hose of misinformation surrounding the assassination of US right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, social media users have turned to AI chatbots for reliable updates -- only to encounter contradictory or inaccurate responses, further fueling online confusion.
The trend highlights how chatbots often generate confident responses, even when verified information is unavailable during fast-developing news events, energizing misinformation across platforms that have largely scaled back human fact-checking and content moderation.
kAmp 52J 27E6C z:C<[ 2 b`\J62C\@=5 AC@>:?6?E 2==J @7 !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A[ H2D 72E2==J 8F??65 5@H? 2E 2 F?:G6CD:EJ :? &E29[ E96 ) 244@F?E @7 px 492E3@E !6CA=6I:EJ 72=D6=J DE2E65 E92E E96 24E:G:DE H2D ?6G6C D9@E 2?5 H2D QDE:== 2=:G6[Q 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 H2E495@8 }6HDvF2C5]k^Am
kAm(96? A@DED 4@?E2:?:?8 2? 2FE96?E:4 G:56@ @7 z:C< 36:?8 D9@E DH:C=65 @?=:?6[ E96 ) 244@F?E @7 vC@< \\ t=@? |FD<VD px 492E3@E \\ DE2E65 E92E :E H2D 2 D2E:C:42= 4=:A]k^Am
kAmQ%96 G:56@ :D 2 >6>6 65:E \\ r92C=:6 z:C< :D 5632E:?8[ 2?5 67764ED >2<6 :E =@@< =:<6 96VD VD9@EV >:5\D6?E6?46 7@C 4@>65:4 67764E] }@ 24EF2= 92C>j 96VD 7:?6 2?5 24E:G6 2D 6G6C[Q vC@< HC@E6]k^Am
kAmvC@< 2=D@ 72=D6=J 4=2:>65 E92E 2 &E29\32D65 C68:DE6C65 s6>@4C2E ?2>65 |:4926= |2==:?D@? 925 366? :56?E:7:65 2D E96 D9@@E6C[ HC@?8=J 2EEC:3FE:?8 E96 :?7@C>2E:@? E@ >2;@C ?6HD @FE=6ED DF49 2D r}} 2?5 E96 }6H *@C< %:>6D]k^Am
kAm|2==:?D@?[ :? C62=:EJ 2 ff\J62C\@=5 C6E:C65 r2?25:2? 32?<6C =:G:?8 :? %@C@?E@[ D2:5 96 H2D QD9@4<65Q 3J E9@FD2?5D @7 D@4:2= >65:2 A@DED E92E =236=65 9:> E96 4F=AC:E]k^Am
kAmqC62<:?8 ?6HD 6G6?ED @7E6? DA2C< 2 7C2?E:4 D62C49 7@C ?6H :?7@C>2E:@? @? D@4:2= >65:2[ 7C6BF6?E=J =625:?8 E@ 72=D6 4@?4=FD:@?D E92E 492E3@ED E96? C68FC8:E2E6[ 4@?EC:3FE:?8 E@ 7FCE96C @?=:?6 492@D]k^Am
kAm%96 E:56 @7 >:D:?7@C>2E:@? 4@>6D 2>:5 2 G@=2E:=6 6?G:C@?>6?E :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D 7@==@H:?8 z:C<VD 2DD2DD:?2E:@?[ H:E9 >2?J C:89E\H:?8 :?7=F6?46CD 7C@> %CF>AVD |2<6 p>6C:42 vC62E p82:? W|pvpX A@=:E:42= 32D6 42==:?8 7@C G:@=6?46 2?5 QC6EC:3FE:@?Q 282:?DE E96 =67E]k^Am
kAm%96 >@E:G6D @7 E96 8F?>2? :?G@=G65 :? E96 D9@@E:?8 \\ H9@ C6>2:?D 2E =2C86 \\ 2C6 F?<?@H?]k^Am
k9am\ V{:2CVD 5:G:56?5V \k^9am
kAm|62?H9:=6[ D@>6 4@?DA:C24J E96@C:DED 92G6 32D6=6DD=J 4=2:>65 E92E E96 G:56@ D9@H:?8 z:C< 36:?8 D9@E H2D px\86?6C2E65[ 2DD6CE:?8 E92E E96 6?E:C6 :?4:56?E H2D DE2865]k^Am
kAm%96 2DD6CE:@? F?56CD4@C6D 9@H E96 C:D6 @7 4962A 2?5 H:56=J 2G2:=23=6 px E@@=D 92D 8:G6? >:D:?7@C>2E:@? A655=6CD 2 92?5J :?46?E:G6 E@ 42DE 5@F3E 23@FE E96 2FE96?E:4:EJ @7 C62= 4@?E6?E –\ 2 E24E:4 C6D62C496CD 92G6 5F3365 2D E96 Q=:2CVD 5:G:56?5]Qk^Am
kAmQ(6 92G6 2?2=JK65 D6G6C2= @7 E96 G:56@D W@7 z:C<VD D9@@E:?8X 4:C4F=2E:?8 @?=:?6 2?5 7:?5 ?@ 6G:56?46 @7 >2?:AF=2E:@? @C E2>A6C:?8[Q D2:5 w2?J u2C:5[ E96 4@\7@F?56C @7 v6E#62= $64FC:EJ 2?5 2 AC@76DD@C 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 r2=:7@C?:2[ q6C<6=6J]k^Am
kAmu2C:5 2=D@ C6A@CE65 D66:?8 D@>6 px\86?6C2E65 G:56@D]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D :D 2? 6I2>A=6 @7 9@H 72<6 4@?E6?E 42? >F55J E96 H2E6CD 2?5 :? EFC? 42DE 5@F3E @? =68:E:>2E6 4@?E6?E[Q 96 D2:5]Â k^Am
kAm%96 72=D69@@5D F?56C=:?6 9@H 724ED 2C6 :?4C62D:?8=J F?56C 2DD2F=E :? 2 >:D:?7@C>2E:@?\7:==65 :?E6C?6E =2?5D42A6[ 2? :DDF6 6I246C32E65 3J AF3=:4 5:DECFDE @7 :?DE:EFE:@?D 2?5 EC25:E:@?2= >65:2]k^Am
kAmxE 92D 6IA@D65 2? FC86?E ?665 7@C DEC@?86C px 56E64E:@? E@@=D[ 6IA6CED D2J[ 2D >2;@C E649 A=2E7@C>D 92G6 =2C86=J H62<6?65 D2768F2C5D 3J C65F4:?8 :?G6DE>6?E :? 9F>2? 724E\4964<:?8]k^Am
kAm#6D62C496CD D2J 492E3@ED 92G6 AC6G:@FD=J >256 6CC@CD G6C:7J:?8 :?7@C>2E:@? C6=2E65 E@ @E96C 4C:D6D DF49 2D E96 xDC26=\w2>2D H2C :? E96 |:55=6 t2DE[ E96 C646?E x?5:2\!2<:DE2? 4@?7=:4EÂ 2?5 2?E:\:>>:8C2E:@? AC@E6DED :? {@D p?86=6D]k^Am
kAmp C646?E 2F5:E 3J }6HDvF2C5 7@F?5 E92E `_ =625:?8 px 492E3@ED C6A62E65 72=D6 :?7@C>2E:@? @? 4@?EC@G6CD:2= ?6HD E@A:4D 2E ?62C=J 5@F3=6 E96 C2E6 4@>A2C65 E@ @?6 J62C 28@]k^Am
kAmQp <6J 724E@C 369:?5 E96 :?4C62D65 72:= C2E6 :D E96 8C@H:?8 AC@A6?D:EJ 7@C 492E3@ED E@ 2?DH6C 2== :?BF:C:6D[ 2D @AA@D65 E@ C67FD:?8 E@ 2?DH6C 46CE2:? AC@>AED[Q }6HDvF2C5 D2:5 :? 2 C6A@CE =2DE H66<]k^Am
kAmQ%96 {2C86 {2?8F286 |@56=D W{{|DX ?@H AF== 7C@> C62=\E:>6 H63 D62C496D \\ D@>6E:>6D 56=:36C2E6=J D66565 3J G2DE ?6EH@C<D @7 >2=:8? 24E@CD]Qk^Am
kAm24^;84k^Am
