In today’s digital-first world, trust is everything. But what happens when the very voices we rely on for expertise turn out to be fabrications?
Recent research from Press Gazette has uncovered a fresh tranche of likely fake and AI-generated “experts” making their way into major UK publications. Out of 250 expert-quoting articles published in The Sun, Daily Express, Mirror, Daily Mail and Daily Star in late 2024 and 2025, 27 experts could not be verified or simply didn’t exist. Many more stories (not included in the 27) quoted sources where the expertise was merely questionable.
AI-Generated Content Floods Social Media
Fake content on social channels is on a huge growth trajectory. According to Forbes, 71% of social media images are now AI-generated, with an astonishing 34 million such images created daily. Many people use social media as their only source of news.
Misinformation can have huge implications. It can lead to reputational risks for people and businesses, severe health impacts, and fraud. Government bodies like the European Union are trying to warn citizens to be vigilant and always check facts.
Traditional Media Under Siege
For fact checking, people used to turn to traditional media. But as traditional media is increasingly targeted with fake content, how will it win the fight against AI slop? With editorships shrinking and pressure to produce content fast, are editorships equipped to deal with this barrage of misinformation?
Alex Cassidy, managing director of NeoMam Studios, which campaigns against deceptive practices in PR, said: “Unfortunately, the UK press remains too easily exploitable. When journalists are forced to source comment under unrealistic deadlines, they are actively disincentivized from checking whether a quoted expert is real. And in that vacuum the fastest PR wins, not necessarily the most credible.”
Mirror, Express and Star publisher Reach has said it’s proactively tackling the issue of fake experts, including creating a directory of trusted PR companies. “As the industry is seeing, this is becoming an increasingly complex issue. For example, we have recently seen previously trusted and well-established PR agencies sharing fake quotes. To help tackle this we have created our own directory of trusted PR agencies and won’t hesitate to remove agencies and PRs as well as add them. We are also considering more severe steps for agencies who haven’t shown us they are taking enough steps on their side – including wholesale blocking of emails from those domains.”
Tools and Tech: Fighting Back Against Fakes
Some companies and institutions are stepping up to fight the barrage of fake content and misinformation. Dr Manny Ahmed, CEO of OpenOrigins, a company that distinguishes between AI and real images, says we need a new way for real content posters to be able to prove their clips and pictures are genuine. The company delivers content authentication at the source. There is a plethora of online tools available that claim they can help check the truth. The more well known ones are Snopes (for rumors and memes), FactCheck.org (for politics), and Google Fact Check Explorer. These allow you to search for stories and images that have already been debunked.
The question is if people will take the time to use any of these tools. And this begs an overall bigger societal dilemma. With misinformation being so prevalent, and attention spans shortening, does the truth even matter anymore? Or has speed and entertainment finally won over truth?
The Role of Communications Professionals
As comms professionals, it’s our responsibility to cut through the noise and help uphold the truth. We need to be transparent, authentic and real in our communications. And generate quality content. We already see a big trend back towards a very ‘old school tactic,’ that of in-person events and meetings. Meeting real people in person to hear real stories.
