Why would the Internet lie to me?: Analyzing the Performance of Misinformation on Twitter utilizing Large Language Models, Machine Learning, and Evolutionary Computing
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Authors
Medema, Emily
Date
2024-09-18
Type
thesis
Language
eng
Keyword
Fake News , Misinformation , Disinformation , Twitter , Large Language Models , Machine Learning , Evolutionary Computing
Alternative Title
Abstract
Misinformation on social media continues to be an issue for social media users with an increasing number of problems and threats seemingly stemming from the spread of deceptive and usually politically motivated information. This misinformation or fake news has been consistently shown to have the potential to damage and change institutions, democracy, and people’s lives on social media. While there has been research into why specific pieces of disinformation spread, we are interested in determining if we can artificially replicate and improve the performance of tweets containing misinformation. Through this, we can then analyze why specific tweets or specific pieces of misinformation spread farther than others. We achieve this through developing an evolutionary algorithm that automatically optimizes the virality of tweets. We use a deep learning model to predict the number of retweets a specific text may receive. This serves as our measure of fitness in the evolutionary algorithm, as it is our closest analog to how far a tweet may spread. Using this prediction, we can then leverage Large Language Models (LLMs) to mutate and crossover disinformation tweets in an evolutionary iteration. Based on the fitness of these mutated and changed tweets, we can then see differences in performance and analyze why that may be. Through this, we can then pinpoint reasons as to why specific pieces of misinformation spread and
utilize this knowledge to help reduce the spread of such misinformation.
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Queen's University's Thesis/Dissertation Non-Exclusive License for Deposit to QSpace and Library and Archives Canada
ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement
Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University
Copying and Preserving Your Thesis
This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.
Attribution 4.0 International
ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement
Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University
Copying and Preserving Your Thesis
This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.
Attribution 4.0 International