Who can we trust online?

In this episode of Crossing Channels, Richard Westcott (host) talks to Rachel Adams (University of Cambridge) and Tiziana Assenza (Toulouse School of Economics)  about who we can trust online, and how misinformation, platforms and AI are reshaping the information environment. 

They explore why misinformation is not only about false content, but also about the systems that decide what people see, when they see it, and at what scale. 

The conversation examines how people often overestimate their own ability to spot misinformation, why emotional and identity-based reactions make false information spread, and how AI can deepen inequalities between countries with very different levels of regulation, digital literacy and platform accountability. 

They also discuss the risks for democracy, children and public debate, the economic consequences of technology-related misinformation, and what governments, platforms, schools and independent institutions can do to build a healthier and more trustworthy online information environment.

• Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platform
• Season 5 Episode 7 transcript

For more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett School of Public Policy and IAST visit our websites at https://www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/.

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With thanks to:

• Audio production by Alice Whaley
• Associate production by Burcu Sevde Selvi
• Visuals by Tiffany Naylor and Pauline Alves

More information about our host and guests:

Rachel Adams, Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence (CFI), University of Cambridge.
Dr Rachel Adams is the Founder and CEO of the Global Centre on AI Governance, a global hub for research and evidence-led action on inclusive and equitable approaches to the use and governance of Al technologies. She has wide expertise in leading global research grants and building international, multi-stakeholder programmes that connect rigorous scholarship with real-world policy impact. She’s been involved with CFI for a number of years, including as an Assistant Research Professor with the Centre. In her new role Dr Adams will provide leadership for the Centre, with the aim of advancing, supporting and maintaining the University of Cambridge’s national and international reputation for excellence in research and teaching in the ethics and impact of AI.

Tiziana Assenza, Toulouse School of Economics
Tiziana is an Associate Professor of Economics at Toulouse School of Economics. Her research examines economic behavior using experimental and computational methods, with a particular focus on expectations formation in macroeconomics. She studies how individuals form and update economic expectations, how central bank communication influences these expectations, and how dis(mis)information shapes decision-making, business cycles, and the effectiveness of economic policy.

Richard Westcott (Host), Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus

Richard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. Last year, Richard left the corporation and he is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city.