Conference on Social Resilience to Disinformation

I had the honor of speaking at a security conference about social resilience to disinformation, as part of a panel on algorithmic recommendations and social media echo chambers.

The event was hosted by the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS) at the RSIS | S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, part of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Four panels discussed various aspects of hybrid threats, including cybersecurity risks in critical infrastructure, geoeconomic power and coercion, and cultural influence and information operations. I was a speaker at the “Algorithmic Recommendations: Pitfalls and Countermeasures” panel, moderated by Xue Zhang.

The theme included some of the dynamics of social media echo chambers (“An outcome of filter bubbles and algorithmic recommender systems?”), their polarizing effect (“Is the consumer of disinformation a victim or a co-creator”), as well as issues regarding monetization due to digital advertising.

My personal takeaway from the workshop is about the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations. The organizers assembled panels featuring speakers from diverse geographical locations and expertise. The outcome was an enriching experience, as I learned about a wide range of topics, from cybersecurity to economic coercion.

Carlos Diaz Ruiz presents in a panel on algorithmic recommendations