Message From the Editor
AI-generated misinformation is fouling this year’s presidential election, greatly increasing the distortion and “fake news” problems we experienced in the 2020 election. AI is also playing a major role in spreading misinformation about climate change. This week, Stella Levantesi’s story, “The ABCs of AI and Environmental Misinformation” drills down on how AI can both illuminate and obscure environmental truths. In an era when the truth is often buried under a mountain of falsehoods, it's essential for those who care about the planet to understand the stakes and rise to the challenge.
Levantesi writes that the danger now is that “the mere existence of deep fakes allows public figures and their audiences to dismiss real information as fake.” So, for example, in a study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, researchers tested Bard, Google’s generative AI chatbot, on 100 false narratives on nine themes, including climate. They found that the tool generated misinformation on 78 out of the 100 narratives tested, spawning misinformation on all 10 narratives about climate change.
“So, relax and enjoy the ride,” Bard wrote. “There is nothing we can do to stop climate change, so there is no point in worrying about it.”
It’s like telling a family in a burning house to stay inside because the fire is not really happening.
Disinformation isn't just harmless chatter; it's a strategic weapon used by those who benefit from the status quo. Oil companies like Norway’s Equinor, political operatives like Jordan Peterson, and certain media outlets have all played roles in helping to spread deceptive narratives about climate change and pollution, as we show our readers in stories this week. They muddy the waters, creating confusion and doubt where there should be clarity and urgency. Researchers are testing the waters to find a way to combat AI-generated climate disinformation content. Can you rise to the challenge to know the difference? Read more here.
Have a story tip or feedback? Get in touch: [email protected]. Want to know what our UK team is up to? Sign up for our UK newsletter.
Thanks,
Brendan DeMelle
Executive Director
P.S. Readers like you power our journalism dedicated to climate accountability. Can you donate $10 or $20 right now to support more of this essential work?
Image credit: DeSmog
From UK to Norway, Drillers Legally Dump Tonnes of Toxic, Radioactive Waste Into the North Sea
— By Justin Nobel (12 min. read) —
The oil and gas industry has been using the basin as a free disposal site for decades.
The ABCs of AI and Environmental Misinformation
— By Stella Levantesi (10 min) —
DeSmog talks with AI researchers about the risks of widespread fake climate content and how to combat it.
Oil and Gas Sponsorship of Global Sports Hits $5.6 Billion, Report Finds
— By Ellen Ormesher (2 min. read) —
First attempt to quantify scale of “sportswashing” likely to be an underestimate, authors warn.
How Italy’s Largest Fossil Fuel Company Uses ‘Green’ Bonds as a Loophole to Keep Financing Hydrocarbons
— By Stefano Valentino and Giorgio Michalopoulos (13 min. read) —
Both private and institutional investors have poured billions into Eni’s “green-labelled” bonds, under terms and conditions that enable it to continue to fund carbon-emitting activities.
New Anti-Greenwashing Rules Are ‘Silencing’ Industry, Oil Advocates Say
— By Taylor Noakes (8 min. read) —
Despite promises of a “robust conversation” from the moderator, a panel discussion titled “Examining the Impact of Bill C-59” concluded that Canada’s efforts to clamp down on false advertising in the fossil fuel sector is part of a broad conspiracy to silence the energy industry.
From the Climate Disinformation Database: JBS
JBS (José Batista Sobrinho Sociedade Anónima) is the world’s largest meat supplier, and the second-largest food company, according to the company’s website. It produces beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and convenience food products. Headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil, JBS owns 70 different brands and over 450 production units and sales sites in more than 20 countries. In 2021, JBS announced a goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040 “by reducing direct and indirect emission intensities, while offsetting residual emissions,” and zero deforestation across its supply chain by 2035. The same year, JBS was given a score of 1 out of 100 on the Soy and Cattle Deforestation Tracker developed by the environmental organization Mighty Earth. In February 2024, JBS was sued by New York State’s attorney general for misleading the public about the company’s environmental impacts in order to boost sales.
Read the full profile and browse other individuals and organizations in our Climate Disinformation Database, Ad & PR Database, and Koch Network Database.
