Only 23% of Asia Pacific audiences feel confident they have not fallen for fake news

A survey carried out by BBC Studios reveals that 65% of audiences in Asia Pacific could not determine whether they had been fooled by AI generated content or fake news, with a further 12% clearly identifying an instance of having been tricked by artificial content. This shows that less than a quarter (23%) consider themselves never to have been fooled by AI generated content or fake news.

The survey, which explored APAC audiences’ attitudes towards verifying news stories and the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in spreading misinformation, revealed that only 40% of respondents said they feel well-informed about how to spot fake news, and only 23% think they could identify a news article created using AI.

Artificial Intelligence

APAC audiences have split feelings towards AI’s impact on society, with 38% believing that it has a positive impact on society and 40% worried about the negative impact it can have. 69% feel that AI amplifies the spread of misinformation in news.

News Verification

The study shows that APAC audiences are making conscious efforts to avoid sharing unverified content with 85% regularly using a secondary source to check news stories and breaking news if it comes from a source they are not familiar with.

However, more than a third (34%) state they do not know how to verify a headline or news

John Williams, Vice President, Advertising Sales, Singapore & SEA, BBC Studios says: “We know there is a need for trustworthy, accurate and impartial content for our audiences to consume, and as an effective, premium environment for our commercial partners’ campaigns. This study highlights both an increasing level of need for verification and the growing concerns the public has when it comes to the capabilities of generative AI in the area of news provision. The number of people in our region already having potentially been duped by faked content is a stark signal of this.

The BBC continues to offer transparency in news reporting across all platforms and counteract the rise in disinformation through BBC Verify.”