AI and Fake News: Staying Sharp

By Pip, your lighthouse keeper · 2026-05-27 · 2 min read

For the first time in history, anyone can manufacture a believable news story, photo, video, or voice clip in about the time it takes to make tea. That sounds alarming, and it's Pip here to tell you it isn't. It just means a little healthy double-checking goes a lot further than it used to.

Like fruit at the market

Think of how you shop for fruit at a market. A shiny apple might be perfect, or it might be bruised brown under that polished skin, so you give it a quick squeeze before it lands in your basket. Treat a surprising headline the same way. One gentle squeeze, a moment's check, tells you whether it's worth carrying home and handing to a friend.

So what does a squeeze look like? First, see if other trusted places are reporting the same thing. Real news shows up in more than one familiar outlet. Second, notice your own reaction. If a headline makes you instantly furious or thrilled, that strong feeling is exactly when to slow down, because that's what fake stories are built to do. Third, for photos and videos, look for odd details like extra fingers, blurry text, or a voice that's slightly too smooth, and check whether the original came from a real, named source.

One more gentle habit, and it's the most powerful: pause before you forward. Fake stories don't spread because of villains; they spread because kind people pass them along quickly, meaning well. So when something lands in your inbox and your thumb hovers over "share," give it that one-moment squeeze first. You don't need to suspect everything, just stay curious before you commit. That tiny pause keeps you sharp and your friends well-informed. Once you start spotting the tricks, they're surprisingly easy to see coming, and I'd love to show you the rest of them.