TryGOLD- Free

THE DANGER OF LEGITIMACY LAUNDERING
The New Indian Express Tirunelveli|December 07, 2024
Biased indexes can accrue credibility in an echo chamber of cross-references. Reforms in the World Bank's governance indicators show a structured pushback can yield better results
- SANJEEV SANYAL
THE DANGER OF LEGITIMACY LAUNDERING

Narrative wars have been around from the beginning of civilization. Kingdoms, republics, tribes and rebel groups have long used disinformation and ideology to manipulate political narratives to their advantage. The spread of digital networks and social media, however, has allowed for an unprecedentedly rapid penetration of such narratives. Artificial intelligence now presents the danger of an algorithm-driven mass-scale manipulation that all sovereign governments and citizens need to guard against.

One could argue that people will adjust their behaviour to the new environment and become more sceptical. Notice, however, that sources that establish themselves as credible become very important in such an environment of doubt. Therefore, the new battlefield is for the 'legitimacy' and 'credibility' of information sources. The labelling of a source as credible is especially powerful as its data would be used to train AI platforms that then run the default responses of many systems.

Those attempting to manipulate global narratives are aware of the credibility issue and have been investing in taking control of default sources even as they have been taking great pain to mask the takeover. One tactic, drawing inspiration from academic publishing, is to create cross-references in order to echo a particular view so that it comes to be seen as the accepted truth. Akin to money laundering, legitimacy laundering then creates layers of sources that hide the original manipulators.

Notice how, in recent years, there has been a proliferation of global indexes and rankings. These rankings are themselves derived from other indices-often entirely subjective opinions-and, in turn, flow into sovereign ratings, investment weightages and so on. In this way, real-world decisions get influenced by sources that are not easily visible to the end user.

This story is from the December 07, 2024 edition of The New Indian Express Tirunelveli.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the December 07, 2024 edition of The New Indian Express Tirunelveli.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS TIRUNELVELIView All
The New Indian Express Tirunelveli

Jamwal Outpunches Thapa at National Boxing Championship

HIMACHAL Pradesh's Abhinash Jamwal continued his sensational run as he defeated reigning welterweight champion Shiva Thapa in a thrilling semifinal clash at the men's National Boxing Championship here.

time-read
1 min  |
January 14, 2025
The New Indian Express Tirunelveli

Playing in India is a big part of my career: Brinkman

WITH phase 1 of the league stage of the Hockey India League in the books, it is no surprise that Kalinga Lancers' Thierry Brinkman is amongst the top goal scorers in the competition.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 14, 2025
The New Indian Express Tirunelveli

Pat in CT squad despite injury concerns

PAT Cummins was on Monday named captain of Australia for next month's Champions Trophy while fellow pacer Josh Hazlewood too was included in the squad despite lingering injury concerns surrounding both players.

time-read
1 min  |
January 14, 2025
The New Indian Express Tirunelveli

Renewed hope in home comfort

Sindhu, Lakshya filled with plenty of hope ahead of India Open test, chance for youngsters to gain ground

time-read
2 mins  |
January 14, 2025
The New Indian Express Tirunelveli

Djokovic fights past teen to keep date with history

NOVAK Djokovic survived a scare in his quest for tennis history before joining Carlos Alcaraz and defending champion Jannik Sinner in the second round of the Australian Open on Monday.

time-read
1 min  |
January 14, 2025
The New Indian Express Tirunelveli

Falling Rupee May Increase Consumer Woes

Consumer durables, automobiles, travel and tourism could become more expensive in near term due to the impact

time-read
2 mins  |
January 14, 2025
The New Indian Express Tirunelveli

Noah lifts Kerala with late winner in ISL

NOAH Sadaoui scored a late goal as Kerala Blasters FC posted a thrilling 3-2 victory over Odisha FC in the Indian Super League here on Monday.

time-read
1 min  |
January 14, 2025
The New Indian Express Tirunelveli

Investors Poorer by ₹13 Lakh Cr as Market Collapses

The ongoing downturn in the equity market intensified on Monday, erasing ₹14 lakh crore in investor wealth.

time-read
1 min  |
January 14, 2025
The New Indian Express Tirunelveli

Samsung leader in global mobile market, Apple 2nd

South Korean technology giant Samsung maintained its leadership in the global mobile market, capturing 19% of the market share in 2024.

time-read
1 min  |
January 14, 2025
The New Indian Express Tirunelveli

JSW Cement gets Sebi nod for ₹4,000 crore IPO

JSW Cement has finally received the regulatory approval to float a ₹4,000 crore initial share sale plan.

time-read
1 min  |
January 14, 2025

We use cookies to provide and improve our services. By using our site, you consent to cookies. Learn more