The fourth seminar on artificial intelligence and digital transformation was devoted to the issue of automatic detection of fake news. On February 24, 2025, during the meeting, a research team from the Department of Information Systems presented the results of the OpenFact project, developed at the Poznań University of Economics and Business (PUEB). The aim of the project is to create innovative solutions using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify potentially false content published on the Internet.
Verifying information on the Internet requires advanced linguistic and contextual analysis. AI tools must recognize subtle differences between true and false content and handle the continuous influx of massive amounts of data. Additionally, methods of manipulation and creating fake news are constantly being improved. Therefore, developing effective mechanisms for the automatic identification of faake news requires interdisciplinary collaboration between experts from various fields.
Analyzing a broad spectrum of sources (e.g., news portals, social media, blogs) and processing huge volumes of data in real time is a significant challenge. AI systems can automatically classify and filter content, speeding up the identification of potentially false messages. However, not all information requires immediate verification – first, it is necessary to assess which statements are most harmful, how quickly they spread, and whether they concern important social and political issues.
Machine learning models can help detect suspicious content, automatically suggesting verification priorities. Moreover, information often appears in the context of multiple sources, and it is also essential to recognize the sender’s intentions and distinguish irony, sarcasm, or contextual manipulation. Thanks to AI tools, it is possible to automatically compare data from multiple resources (knowledge bases, statistics, official reports) and preliminarily assess the credibility of sources.
The speakers were: Prof. Witold Abramowicz, Prof. Krzysztof Węcel, Dr. Włodzimierz Lewoniewski, Dr. Piotr Stolarski, Dr. Milena Stróżyna, Ewelina Księżniak, Marcin Sawiński.
The OpenFact project is financed by the National Centre for Research and Development under the INFOSTRATEG I program “Advanced information, telecommunications and mechatronic technologies”. In July 2024, the results of the OpenFact project were rated the highest by National Center for Research and Development for the second year in a row.
In the photo, representatives of the OpenFact team (from left): Dr. Włodzimierz Lewoniewski, Izabela Czumałowska, Patryk Danielewicz, Aleksandra Wojewoda, Dr. Piotr Stolarski, Dr. Milena Stróżyna, Prof. Witold Abramowicz, Prof. Krzysztof Węcel.