International Fact-Checking Day: Combatting AI-Driven Misinformation 🛡️

The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2026 identifies misinformation and disinformation as the second most severe short-term global risk. On International Fact-Checking Day (April 2), Fact Crescendo Sri Lanka highlights the urgent need for information integrity in a landscape increasingly shaped by AI-driven manipulation. • Global Risk Profile: Misinformation is now a deepening structural risk to democracy, public health, and economic stability. It has consistently ranked as a top critical threat, now exacerbated by AI's ability to generate deepfakes and viral narratives in seconds. • Domestic Impact: In Sri Lanka, false narratives and manipulated content have fueled communal tensions, shaped public opinion, and enabled financial scams targeting citizens. • Sector Response: Fact Crescendo, an IFCN-certified body, collaborates with technology platforms like Meta to review and contextualize misleading content. They provide verification services in Sinhala, Tamil, and English to ensure linguistic inclusivity across the country. • Call to Action: Combating misinformation is framed as a "civic responsibility." Every Sri Lankan is urged to "pause and verify" before sharing. • Public Verification: A dedicated WhatsApp hotline (+94771514696) is available for the public to submit suspicious content for evidence-based verification. 📈