AI misinformation and the value of trusted news by Filipe Campante, Ruben Durante, Felix Hagemeister, Ananya Sen published by VOXEU (9/2025).
Artificial intelligence tools can now produce highly realistic text, images, and videos at almost no cost, prompting concerns that the proliferation of fabricated content may mean mainstream news outlets lose both the trust and demand of their audience. This column reports the results of a field experiment in partnership with one of Germany’s most respected news outlets, which suggest that when the threat of misinformation becomes salient, the value of credible news increases. Media outlets must continually invest in helping readers distinguish fact from fabrication, keeping pace with the rapid evolution of AI.
