Are you constantly fed up with WhatsApp forwards and fake news circulated by people? Well, it’s a common phenomenon. These WhatsApp forwards play a huge role in causing misinformation and creating conspiracy theories. Most people believe them as they are constructed in such a believable way. These messages can range from fake health tips to more serious news about political parties but now WhatsApp is getting smarter and offers users the ability to Fact Check WhatsApp Forwards By Using AI.
This fake information provokes fear in people or might make them do harmful things without realizing that they are harmful. This is why we need to check and verify these WhatsApp forwards before believing them.
AI offers handy tools that make verifying messages quick and easy, no tech expert needed. Whether it’s text, images, or videos, simple methods can help you check if forwarded content is genuine.
This article will guide you through using AI to fact-check WhatsApp forwards. Let’s dive into how you can stay informed and help curb misinformation.
Why We Forward Messages?
WhatsApp is now a big part of our daily life. It makes it easy to talk with family, friends, and coworkers. But it also means many messages get forwarded a lot. This causes a problem because people often share stuff without checking if it’s true. This spreads false information, rumors, and fake news.
So why do we do this? It’s because we want to connect and be noticed. We want others to remember us and know what we think and believe.
WhatsApp taps into this need. It gives us a platform to share what we think is “wisdom.” Often, we forward messages without checking their source or accuracy. But just the act of sharing makes us feel important. It makes us feel wise and kind.
When we get a message that seems valuable, our brain rewards us. We get a dopamine hit that feels like a small rush of pleasure. This happens because we feel we’ve learned something new or insightful.
We then feel the urge to share it with others. We tell ourselves it’s to help them. But deep down, it also makes us feel good about ourselves. In a way, it feels like we are leaving a small piece of ourselves behind. We want others to remember us for it.
How Misinformation Can Harm Us?
Misinformation can be dangerous for people. During major events like the COVID-19 pandemic, many WhatsApp forwards spread like wildfire. These messages contained information that had no relation to the pandemic. Starting from fake health tips to cure COVID to even calling a pandemic a hoax, the chances of the rise of such WhatsApp forwards increase with such global events. Here are some harmful effects of misinformation:
Spreads Quickly
Misinformation spreads quickly. It can deceive people, which causes panic and confusion. Most people tend to forward these messages to others without checking their reliability. Some of these messages tend to use names of trusted sources or big research centers to gain reliability, but that does not make the information credible. Before someone can confirm that the message is fake, the news has already been circulated to many people. Now, making them convinced that the information is fake becomes tougher.
Public Health Risks
Health misinformation is especially dangerous. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it promoted false cures and fake prevention tips. It risked the lives of so many people. It also made medical crises worse and blocked efforts by health authorities.
Social fragmentation
Fake information can divide society. Especially with news related to political parties. They may target certain groups or spread rumors that fuel hate and violence. Viral misinformation has caused real-world attacks and riots. Even when the truth comes out, the damage remains. It weakens trust and social unity.
Fake Forwards Scam People
Many scams forward messages that offer fake jobs or government aid. After they convince some vulnerable people, they ask for money and scam these innocent people. There have been some cases where hackers sent some shady links in these messages. When you click on the link, malware gets into the phone. This can lead to financial loss or harmful software on devices.
Character Assassination
Sometimes, some fake news is made about a person or institution to damage their reputation. This can damage the reputation. Many might even lose their jobs. Even if proven false later, the harm is often hard to undo.
Mental Health Issues
Scary fake news can cause stress and anxiety among people. It may warn about disasters, crimes, or health threats that aren’t real. Some people might find themselves worrying about this matter, which ultimately causes them to lose focus on their work or daily routine.
Losing Trust In News
Lastly, Fake news might cause us to lose our faith in all types of information sources. The situation might get so bad that even reliable sources could get questioned. Real information might not real people. Over time, people may stop following the news altogether. This lowers public awareness and hurts decision-making.
How To Fact Check WhatsApp Forwards By Using AI?
For fact-checking, there are many AI tools, but here we will talk about Perplexity AI, as it can be used in WhatsApp:
Perplexity AI
Perplexity is an AI chatbot similar to ChatGPT. Recently, a feature has been launched that you can use Perplexity in WhatsApp. You can get Perplexity AI for WhatsApp and fact-check these WhatsApp forwards.
How To Proceed:
- Save this contact number +1 (833) 436-3285 in your phone.
- Perplexity AI will appear in your contact list.
- When you get any suspicious message, you can directly forward that message to Perplexity AI or ask any question related to it.
- Wait for a reply. Perplexity not only finds information but also provides you with links and sources. You can click on the sources and fact-check them.
Other Ways To Fact Check WhatsApp Forwards By Using AI
These are some other ways you can fact-check WhatsApp forwards:
Google Lens
Google Lens is like the visual part of Google Search. Instead of typing, you use images and your camera. It can recognize things like QR codes, plants, text, and products in images and show you info or search results about them.
- Open the WhatsApp message with the picture or screenshot.
- Tap the picture to see it full screen.
- Tap the Google Lens icon (usually at the top or bottom).
- If you don’t see it, tap the three-dot menu and select Search with Google Lens.
- The lens will scan the image and show matching results from the web.
Improve Critical Thinking Skills
To get better at spotting misinformation, it’s crucial to develop critical thinking skills. Ask yourself:
- Why was this message shared? Emotional content, like trying to scare you or anger you, might mean there’s a hidden agenda.
- Is this message based on facts? Learn about reliable information on controversial topics so you can compare new details with what you already know.
- Are there any biases? Look at the words and how they’re used; if they seem exaggerated, the goal might be to influence opinions instead of sharing unbiased facts.
FAQs
What Is Perplexity AI?
Perplexity AI is a smart search tool that quickly gives clear and accurate answers to natural language questions. Unlike regular search engines that show lists of links, Perplexity provides direct answers and shows the sources of the information.
How Can I Check Whether A WhatsApp Forward Is Real Or Fake?
You can recognize whether the information is fake or not by doing a cross-check using any AI chatbot. If it is an image, you can use Google Lens.
How Can Google Lens Help In Recognising Misinformation?
You can ask Google Lens where an image first appeared on the internet.
What Are The Effects Of Misinformation?
It provokes misunderstandings in people and provokes fear. It can damage the reputation and make people lose faith even in trusted news outlets.
Why Do People Forward WhatsApp Messages?
Forwarding messages makes us feel important and gives a dopamine hit to our brains. We feel like we know a lot more than we do.
Conclusion
In a world full of misinformation, AI might feel like the best option for fact-checking WhatsApp forwards. Misinformation spreads fast, especially when it comes from people we trust.
Many users forward messages without checking if they’re true. That’s where AI tools can help. Simple tools like Perplexity AI can quickly analyze text or images.
They help you figure out if a message is real or misleading. For example, you can use Google Lens to trace where an image first appeared. You can ask Perplexity AI to break down a message and explain if it makes sense. By using AI to check WhatsApp forwards, you’re not just protecting yourself. You’re also helping stop the spread of rumors, scams, and fear.
