Disinformation and Misinformation in the Age of AI: Putting IS Field at the Center

Disinformation and misinformation threaten democratic institutions, public discourse, and social cohesion. With predictive algorithms and GenAI enabling easy generation of deep fakes, these threats are amplified at unprecedented scale and present an urgent need to understand and counter them. This panel brings together IS scholars from different disciplinary backgrounds who investigate the causes, mechanisms, and consequences of disinformation and propose effective interventions. Despite valuable contributions from IS scholars, disciplines like Political Science and Media Studies often dominate the conversation. This panel argues that IS should take center stage in the public and academic discourse on this topic by leveraging its unique, multidisciplinary lenses. Drawing on theoretical, empirical, and design-based approaches, panelists will debate specific dilemmas associated with this phenomenon and engage the audience in provocative discussions. The goal is to mobilize the IS community to lead this critical area of research and amplify its insights across academia, industry, and policymaking.