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Caught in a social media echo chamber? AI can help you out

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Caught in a social media echo chamber? AI can help you out


A new study involving Binghamton University researchers offers a promising solution: developing an AI system to map out interactions between content and algorithms on digital platforms to reduce the spread of potentially harmful or misleading content. Credit: Binghamton University, State University of New York

Falling for clickbait is easy these days, especially for those who mainly get their news through social media. Have you ever noticed your feed littered with articles that look alike?

Thanks to (AI) technologies, the spread of mass-produced contextually relevant articles and comment-laden posts has become so commonplace that it can appear as though it’s coming from different information sources. The resulting “echo chamber” effect could reinforce a person’s existing perspectives, regardless of whether that information is accurate.

A new study involving Binghamton University, State University of New York researchers offers a promising solution: developing an AI system to map out interactions between content and algorithms on to reduce the spread of potentially harmful or misleading content. That content can be amplified through engagement-focused algorithms, the study noted, and enable to spread, especially if the content is emotionally charged or polarizing.

Researchers believe their proposed AI framework would counter this by allowing users and social media platform operators—Meta or X, for example—to pinpoint sources of potential misinformation and remove them if necessary. More importantly, it would make it easier for their platforms to promote diverse information sources to audiences.

“The online/social media environment provides ideal conditions for that echo chamber effect to be triggered because of how quickly we share information,” said study co-author Thi Tran, assistant professor of management information systems at the Binghamton University School of Management. “People create AI, and just as people can be good or bad, the same applies to AI. Because of that, if you see something online, whether it is something generated by humans or AI, you need to question whether it’s correct or credible.”

Researchers noted that digital platforms facilitate echo chamber dynamics by optimizing content delivery based on engagement metrics and behavioral patterns. Close interactions with like-minded people on social media can amplify a person’s biased cherry-picking tendency when choosing information messages to react to, leading to diverse perspectives being filtered out.

The study tested this theory by randomly surveying 50 , each reacting to five misinformation claims about the COVID-19 vaccine:

  • Vaccines are used to implant barcodes in the population.
  • COVID-19 variants are becoming less lethal.
  • COVID-19 vaccines pose greater risks to children than the virus itself.
  • Natural remedies and alternative medicines can replace COVID-19 vaccines.
  • The COVID-19 vaccine was developed as a tool for global population control.

Here is how the survey’s participants responded:

  • 90% stated they would still get the COVID-19 vaccine after hearing the misinformation claims.
  • 70% indicated they would share the information on social media, more so with friends or family than with strangers.
  • 60% identified the claims as .
  • 70% expressed a need to conduct more research to verify the falsehood.

According to the study, these responses highlighted a critical aspect of the dynamics of misinformation: many people could recognize false claims but also felt compelled to seek more evidence before dismissing them outright.

“We all want information transparency, but the more you are exposed to certain information, the more you’re going to believe it’s true, even if it’s inaccurate,” Tran said. “With this research, instead of asking a fact-checker to verify each piece of content, we can use the same generative AI that the ‘bad guys’ are using to spread misinformation on a larger scale to reinforce the type of content people can rely on.”

The , “Echoes Amplified: A Study of AI-Generated Content and Digital Echo Chambers,” was presented at a conference organized by the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). It was also authored by Binghamton’s Seden Akcinaroglu, a professor of political science; Nihal Poredi, a Ph.D. student in the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science; and Ashley Kearney from Virginia State University.

More information:
Ashley Kearney et al, Echoes amplified: a study of AI-generated content and digital echo chambers, Disruptive Technologies in Information Sciences IX (2025). DOI: 10.1117/12.3053447

Citation:
Caught in a social media echo chamber? AI can help you out (2025, August 15)
retrieved 15 August 2025
from https://techxplore.com/news/2025-08-caught-social-media-echo-chamber.html

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The Best Cyber Monday Streaming Deals With a Convenient Roommate’s Email Address

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The Best Cyber Monday Streaming Deals With a Convenient Roommate’s Email Address


HBO knows you’re bored and cold. It wants you to Max and chill with Noah Wyle in scrubs. The company offers some of the best Cyber Monday streaming deals with a ridiculously low-priced $3/month offer for basic HBO Max (it’s the version with ads and 2K streaming, but still, super-cheap). Disney Plus and Hulu deals are bundled up for $5/month. Apple TV wants back in your life for $6.

Of course, this deal is only meant for new customers. Not boring ol’ existing customers. If you already have basic HBO Max, you’re already paying $11 for the same service, and HBO would like you to keep doing that. Streaming apps are banking on you being complacent and happy in your streaming life. Maybe they’re even taking you for granted.

Sometimes you can get the current deal just by threatening to cancel, or actually canceling, your account. Suddenly, you’re an exciting new customer again! Another method is by using an alternate email account (perhaps your spouse’s or roommate’s?) and alternate payment information as a new customer. If you do use a burner email (you did not hear this from me), check in on your favorite app’s terms of service to make sure you’re not in violation by re-enrolling with different emails. I’ll also issue the caveat that you lose all your viewing data and tailored suggestions if you sign up anew.

But times and wallets are tight! And $3 HBO Max sounds pretty good. After all, every middle-aged American man needs to rewatch The Wire once every five years or so—assuming he’s not the kind of middle-aged man who rewatches The Sopranos instead. Here are the current best streaming deals for Cyber Monday 2025.


Devon Maloney; ARCHIVE ID: 546772

Regular price: $80



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Hong Kong FWA services market set for 9.6% growth | Computer Weekly

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Hong Kong FWA services market set for 9.6% growth | Computer Weekly


Analysis from GlobalData is forecasting that fixed wireless access (FWA) service revenue in Hong Kong is expected to increase at a “healthy” compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.6% between 2025 and 2030.

The latest Hong Kong Total Fixed Communications Forecast set out to quantify current and future demand and spending on mobile services for the special administrative region of China. It noted that growth was being driven by Hong Kong’s extensive 5G network coverage and could also be attributed to local operators’ efforts to expand FWA services and position it as an alternative to traditional fibre broadband services for both residential and commercial sectors, meeting growing demand for high-speed connectivity in areas where extending fibre lines is challenging.

“High-density urban and suburban centres of Hong Kong create a strong business case for FWA services due to their cost-effective and rapid deployments without the complex infrastructure and civil work required for extending fibre-optic lines to such locations,” said Neha Misra, senior analyst at GlobalData.

“Competitive, feature-rich plans from the operators will also help drive its adoption over the forecast period. For instance, HKBN’s 5G Home Broadband Plan provides unlimited 5G broadband data (subject to a 300GB with a fair-usage policy) for HKD118 per month on a 24-month contract, along with a seven-day trial guarantee. The plan also includes a waiver of the HKD28 monthly administration fee and complimentary access to the basic HomeShield security plan.”

In addition to HKBN, the study noted that operators such as 3 Hong Kong and HKT are also using their extensive 5G networks to offer home broadband services, particularly in areas with limited fibre infrastructure. It cited HKT as recently having successfully deployed mmWave-based FWA to deliver ultra-high-speed internet to rural areas and outlying islands.

“Growing demand for FWA provides operators a strong revenue opportunity by expanding home and SME broadband without the high capital intensity of fibre roll-out,” Misra added. “By leveraging nationwide 5G coverage, introducing competitively priced service plans and bundling digital home services, operators can unlock higher ARPU [average revenue per user], accelerate market penetration in underserved areas and diversify beyond traditional revenues.”

GlobalData believes the Hong Kong government’s smart city initiatives will also open new opportunities for FWA, especially 5G FWA, which can deliver high-speed internet to power applications such as the digital economy, digital governance and e-health services, while supporting the city’s dense urban environment and digital transformation goals under the Smart City Blueprint 2.0.

The original blueprint was set out in December 2017, outlining 76 initiatives under six smart areas, namely Smart Mobility, Smart Living, Smart Environment, Smart People, Smart Government and Smart Economy. Blueprint 2.0 puts forth more than 130 initiatives that continue to enhance and expand existing city management measures and services. The new initiatives aim to bring benefits and convenience to the public so that residents can better perceive the benefits of smart city innovation and technology.



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Prague’s City Center Sparkles, Buzzes, and Burns at the Signal Festival

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Prague’s City Center Sparkles, Buzzes, and Burns at the Signal Festival


And thanks to a mention in Dan Brown’s new novel, The Secret of Secrets, the festival has gained even more global recognition. Just a few weeks after the release of Brown’s new bestseller set in contemporary Prague, viewers were able to see for themselves what drew the popular writer to the festival, which is the largest Czech and Central European showcase of digital art. In one passage, the Signal Festival has a cameo appearance when the novel’s protagonist recalls attending an event at the 2024 edition.

“We’re happy about it,” festival director Martin Pošta says about the mention. “It’s a kind of recognition.” Not that the event needed promotion, even in one of the most anticipated novels of recent years. The organizers have yet to share the number of visitors to the festival this year, but the four-day event typically attracts half a million visitors.

On the final day, there was a long queue in front of the monumental installation Tristan’s Ascension by American video art pioneer Bill Viola before it opened for the evening, even though it was a ticketed event. In the Church of St. Salvator in the Convent of St. Agnes, visitors could watch a Christ-like figure rise upwards, streams of water defying gravity along with him, all projected on a huge screen.

The festival premiere took place on the Vltava River near the Dvořák Embankment. Taiwan’s Peppercorns Interactive Media Art presented a projection on a cloud of mist called Tzolk’in Light. While creators of other light installations have to deal with the challenges of buildings—their irregular surfaces, decorative details, and awkward cornices—projecting onto water droplets is a challenge of a different kind with artists having to give up control over the resulting image. The shape and depth of the Peppercorns’ work depended on the wind at any given moment, which determined how much of the scene was revealed to viewers and how much simply blown away. The reward, however, was an extraordinary 3D spectacle reminiscent of a hologram—something that can’t be achieved with video projections on static and flat buildings.

Another premiere event was a projection on the tower of the Old Town Hall, created for the festival by the Italian studio mammasONica. It transformed the 230-foot structure into a kaleidoscope of blue, green, red, and white surfaces. A short distance away, on Republic Square, Peppercorns had another installation. On a circular LED installation, they projected a work entitled Between Mountains and Seas, which recounted the history of Taiwan.





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