*Experts opine it is now getting easier to spread erroneous news on the Internet, and Artificial Intelligence may be contributing to that this, noting once an 鈥榠ncorrect鈥� article is published, AI may perpetuate it

Alexander Davis | 绿帽献妻

Some media outlets are prioritising clicks over fact-checking, allowing unverified rumours to spread as news.

Examples include false claims about stimulus checks and stricter Federal driving rules for older adults in the United States (US).

Once misinformation is published, Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may unintentionally amplify it, since they rely on existing content. Even fact-checking platforms like Snopes cannot always prevent widespread circulation.

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While AI has the potential to help distinguish fact from fiction, it struggles when trained on or exposed to inaccurate sources, illustrated by ChatGPT repeating the false driver鈥檚 licence story in its responses.

In the pursuit of clicks, some news outlets are publishing articles without verifying the accuracy of the information.

ConsumerAffairs recently found two examples: Last week, the news organisation reported on the number of stories that proclaimed that the IRS had confirmed that US President Donald Trump鈥檚 administration would send out stimulus cheques to some Americans, using money collected from tariffs.

While it is true that Trump has publicly suggested it might be a good idea, and a member of the Senate has drafted legislation to that effect, for now, it remains just an idea.

Yet, if you Google 鈥�1390 stimulus checks,鈥� you鈥檒l find plenty of articles reporting it as fact.

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A second example of a rumour being reported as news is the assertion that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is implementing new, tougher driver’s licence rules for older drivers, including requiring drivers over 80 to take an annual road test.

However, the Federal Government has no jurisdiction over driver鈥檚 licence rules. That鈥檚 left up to the states and each state has different rules.

While it鈥檚 true that some states like California and Florida has more stringent rules for older drivers, those states are the exception.

Rumours as news

So, why are you seeing this rumour reported as fact? Apparently, a rumour widely circulated on social media in mid-2025 claimed mandatory Federal rules affecting all drivers aged 70+ would start July or August.

However, major fact鈥慶hecking outlets like Snopes investigated and found the reports to be false. But when a Web site reported it as fact and others followed, it spread across the Internet, report said.

What role is Artificial Intelligence playing in the spread of misinformation? It should be able to separate fact from fiction, but if AI is working with bad information, it becomes more difficult.

For example, when we recently asked ChatGPT for a list of news stories that affect older adults, it listed the false story about driver鈥檚 licence rules in the US.

AI should, in theory, help separate fact from fiction by cross-checking claims against reliable sources.

But when its training or reference material contains widespread falsehoods, AI can become a megaphone for bad information rather than a filter.

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