Cambridge Disinformation Summit (2023)

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27 Jul 2023

08:30 -22:00

28 Jul 2023

08:30 -21:45

GMT+1

Registration for this event is closed.

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King's College

King’s Parade

Cambridge

CB2 1ST

United Kingdom

Overview

Strategic disinformation is an accelerant for major societal problems such as climate change, extremism, polarisation, fraud, and suppression of rights. It is exploited across all information dissemination platforms, including social media, news media, financial and non-financial reporting, and other broadcast vehicles.

The purpose of the conference is to convene global thought leaders from psychology, journalism, financial reporting, political science, and related information science fields to discuss:

  1. the societal impact of strategic disinformation
  2. methods used to disseminate disinformation
  3. the psychology of entrenched belief systems
  4. means to mitigate disinformation efficacy

Listen to Professor Alan Jagolinzer’s opening comments, during the Cambridge Disinformation Summit on 27 July 2023.

Watch the Summit playlist on YouTube

Programme

Thursday 27 July 2023

08:30 – 08:45

Conference welcome

King’s College Hall

This session will discuss the objectives of the Summit, including a vision for future interdisciplinary research, curriculum, and policy project collaboration.

  • Alan Jagolinzer, Professor of Financial Accounting, Co-Director, Cambridge Centre for Financial Reporting & Accountability

08:45 – 09:15

Disinformation: definition, history, strategy, consequences

King’s College Hall

This session will define key terms and offer important historical perspective regarding disinformation strategy and consequences.

  • Stephen Jolly, Former senior British Defence official; Fellow Commoner, St Edmund’s College, Cambridge; Senior Adviser, Reputation Inc., Oslo

09:15 – 10:15

Belief systems: why is disinformation effective?

King’s College Hall

This session will offer key psychological insights for why and how disinformation can polarise societal groups and entrench people in belief systems.

  • Diane Benscoter, Founder, antidote.ngo and author of “Shoes of a Servant – My unconditional Devotion to a Lie”
  • Sunita Sah, Professor of Management Studies, Cornell University SC Johnson College of Business
  • Sander van der Linden, Professor of Social Psychology in Society, University of Cambridge

10:15 – 10:45

Break

10:45 – 12:00

Societal implications of disinformation

King’s College Hall

This session will offer current perspectives regarding the effects of disinformation on climate, health, business, and democracy.

  • Abdullahi Alim, Head of Project 2030 at the International Chamber of Commerce
  • Todd Helmus, Senior Behavioural Scientist, RAND Corporation
  • Heidi Larson, Professor of Anthropology, Risk and Decision Science, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine & Director, Vaccine Confidence Project
  • Gabriella Stern, Director of Communication, World Health Organization

12:00 – 13:00

Lunch

13:00 – 14:00

Platform accountability vs free speech rights

King’s College Hall

This session will offer legal, policy, and societal impact perspectives regarding the balance between information dissemination platform accountability and free speech rights.

  • Nerissa Brown, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and Professor of Accountancy, University of Illinois Gies College of Business
  • Julie Inman Grant, Australia eSafety Commissioner
  • Agne Kaarlep, Head of Policy at Tremau & Former Policy Officer for Digital Services and Platforms at European Commission
  • Stefan Thiel, John Thornely Fellow and Director of Studies in Law, Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge
  • Jessica Zucker, Director of Online Safety Policy, Ofcom

14:00 – 14:30

Break

14:30 – 15:30

Discerning information credibility: fact-checking, natural language processing, and audit

King’s College Hall

This session will discuss the benefits and limitations of current technology to identify and disclose evidence of false or inaccurate information that may affect society.

  • Christabel Cowling, EY UK&I Audit Partner and UK Head of Regulatory and Public Policy
  • Andy Dudfield, Head of AI and Interim Chief Executive, Full Fact
  • Craig Lewis, Madison S. Wiggington Professor of Finance, Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management and former Chief Economist at the US Securities and Exchange Commission
  • Beth Lambert, Head of Policy and Strategic Accounts, Logically.AI
  • Carolina Scarton, Senior Lecturer in Natural Language Processing, University of Sheffield

15:30 – 16:00

Break

16:00 – 17:00

Potential benefits and risks from Generative AI

King’s College Hall

This session will discuss the potential benefits and risks of Generative Alternative Intelligence.

  • Stevie Bergman, Senior Research Scientist, Ethics Research Team, DeepMind
  • Joe McFadden, Deputy General Counsel at McKinsey & Company
  • Daniele Quercia, Head of Responsible AI, Nokia Bell Labs and Professor in Urban Informatics, King’s College London
  • Sarah Shirazyan, Lecturer in Law, Stanford Law School and Manager of Content Policy, Meta

19:00 – 22:00

Private showing: The YouTube Effect documentary, with introduction from Alex Winter

The Cambridge Union

This session will discuss the rise of YouTube and its positive and damaging effects on society. Alex Winter, movie actor, director, and producer, will introduce the documentary and answer questions after the viewing.

Friday 28 July 2023

08:30 – 09:30

Profiteering: the business of disinformation

King’s College Hall

This session will discuss the financial and power incentives from disinformation and which actors engage disinformation for profit.

  • Emma Briant, Research Affiliate, University of Cambridge Judge Business School Centre for Financial Reporting & Accountability
  • Joshua Braun, Associate Professor of Journalism, University of Massachusetts at Amherst
  • Henry Friedman, Associate Professor of Accounting, UCLA Anderson School of Management
  • Marie Santini, Professor, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro School of Communication

09:30 – 10:30

Journalistic integrity

King’s College Hall

This session will discuss the current state of journalistic integrity, including the effects of economic incentives on news media platforms, and offer recommendations to improve integrity.

  • Veena McCoole, VP Communications and Marketing, NewsGuard
  • Raju Narisetti, Leader and Publisher, Global Publishing, McKinsey & Company
  • Taylor Owen, Beaverbrook Chair in Media, Ethics and Communications, & founding director of The Center for Media, Technology and Democracy, Max Bell, School of Public Policy, McGill University.
  • Richard Sambrook, Emeritus Professor, Cardiff University School of Journalism, Media and Culture

10:30 – 11:00

Break

11:00 – 12:00

Micro targeting

King’s College Hall

This session will discuss how to identify micro communities who hold shared beliefs and the societal implications of customising disinformation for these micro communities.

  • Ioana Belu, Executive Director, Business Intelligence Unit
  • Michael Willis, Management Practice Associate Professor and Director of the Cambridge Executive Master of Accounting Programme
  • David Stillwell, Professor of Computational Social Science, University of Cambridge Judge Business School
  • Rafi Mendelsohn, VP Marketing, Cyabra

12:00 – 13:00

Lunch

13:00 – 14:00

Open-source intelligence

King’s College Hall

This session will discuss open-source intelligence techniques and current and potential future applications for this technology.

  • Dessi Lange-Damianova, Chief Operating Officer, Bellingcat
  • Clare Wang, Professor of Accounting and Director of the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility Research, University of Colorado

14:00 – 14:30

Break

14:30 – 16:00

Combatting disinformation: counterprogramming, inoculation, education, and community

King’s College Hall

This session will discuss the efficacy and promise of methods currently employed to minimise the societal effects of disinformation.

  • Brad Badertscher, Deloitte Professor of Accountancy, University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business
  • Bram Alkema, COO of DROG Group
  • Stephan Lewandowsky, Chair in Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol
  • Andrea Liebman, Senior Analyst, Lead Social Media, Swedish Psychological Defence Agency
  • Jussi Toivanen, Head of Communications, Finnish Transport and Communications Agency, National Cyber Security Centre
  • Sander van der Linden, Professor of Social Psychology in Society, University of Cambridge

18:00 – 18:45

Drinks

18:45 – 19:30

Keynote: Social media responsibility and accountability

King’s College Hall

This session will discuss perspectives on social media platforms’ responsibility to society.

  • Frances Haugen , Advocate for Accountability & Transparency in Social Media and Co-Founder of Beyond the Screen

Discussion facilitated by Brian Klaas, Associate Professor in Global Politics, University College London

19:30 – 19:45

Closing comments

King’s College Hall

  • Alan Jagolinzer, Professor of Financial Accounting, Co-Director, Cambridge Centre for Financial Reporting & Accountability

19:45 – 21:45

Dinner

King’s College Hall

Dinner keynote

Frances Haugen.

Frances Haugen
Advocate for Accountability & Transparency in Social Media and Co-Founder of Beyond the Screen

Speakers

Abdullahi Alim
Head of Project 2030 at the International Chamber of Commerce


Bram Alkema
COO of DROG Group


Brad Badertscher
Deloitte Professor of Accountancy, University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business


Ioana Belu
Executive Director, Business Intelligence Unit


Diane Benscoter
Founder, antidote.ngo and author of “Shoes of a Servant – My Unconditional Devotion to a Lie”


Stevie Bergman
Senior Research Scientist, Ethics Research Team, DeepMind


Robert Bloomfield
Nicholas H. Noyes Professor of Management, Cornell University SC Johnson College of Business


Joshua Braun
Associate Professor of Journalism, University of Massachusetts at Amherst


Emma Briant
Research Affiliate, University of Cambridge Judge Business School Centre for Financial Reporting & Accountability


Nerissa Brown
Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and Professor of Accountancy, University of Illinois Gies College of Business


Christabel Cowling
EY UK&I Audit Partner and UK Head of Regulatory and Public Policy


Andy Dudfield
Head of AI and Interim Chief Executive, Full Fact


Henry Friedman
Associate Professor of Accounting, UCLA Anderson School of Management


Alexandra Geese
Member, European Parliament


Julie Inman Grant
Australia eSafety Commissioner


Todd Helmus
Senior Behavioural Scientist, RAND Corporation


Alan Jagolinzer
Professor of Financial Reporting, University of Cambridge Judge Business School


Stephen Jolly
Former senior British Defence official; Fellow Commoner, St Edmund’s College, Cambridge; Senior Adviser, Reputation Inc., Oslo


Agne Kaarlep
Head of Policy at Tremau & Former Policy Officer for Digital Services and Platforms at European Commission


Brian Klaas
Associate Professor in Global Politics, University College London


Beth Lambert
Head of Policy and Strategic Accounts, Logically.AI


Dessi Lange-Damianova
Chief Operating Officer, Bellingcat


Heidi Larson
Professor of Anthropology, Risk and Decision Science, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine & Director, Vaccine Confidence Project

Stephan Lewandowsky
Chair in Cognitive Psychology, School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol


Craig Lewis
Madison S. Wiggington Professor of Finance, Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management and former Chief Economist at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission


Andrea Liebman
Senior Analyst, Lead Social Media, Swedish Psychological Defence Agency


Veena McCoole
VP Communications and Marketing, NewsGuard


Joe McFadden
Deputy General Counsel at McKinsey & Company


Rafi Mendelsohn
VP Marketing, Cyabra


Raju Narisetti
Leader and Publisher, Global Publishing, McKinsey & Company


Taylor Owen
Beaverbrook Chair in Media, Ethics and Communications, & founding director of The Center for Media, Technology and Democracy, Max Bell, School of Public Policy, McGill University.


Daniele Quercia
Head of Responsible AI, Nokia Bell Labs and Professor in Urban Informatics, King’s College London


Sunita Sah
Professor of Management Studies, Cornell University SC Johnson College of Business


Richard Sambrook
Emeritus Professor, Cardiff University School of Journalism, Media and Culture


Marie Santini
Professor, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro School of Communication


Carolina Scarton
Senior Lecturer in Natural Language Processing, University of Sheffield


Sarah Shirazyan
Lecturer in Law, Stanford Law School and Manager of Content Policy, Meta


Gabriella Stern
Director of Communications, World Health Organization


David Stillwell
Professor of Computational Social Science, University of Cambridge Judge Business School


Stefan Thiel
John Thornely Fellow and Director of Studies in Law, Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge


Jussi Toivanen
Head of Communications, Finnish Transport and Communications Agency, National Cyber Security Centre


Sander van der Linden
Professor of Social Psychology in Society, University of Cambridge


Clare Wang
Professor of Accounting and Director of the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility Research, University of Colorado


Michael Willis
Management Practice Associate Professor and Director of the Cambridge Executive Master of Accounting Programme


Alex Winter
Director, writer, movie actor, and founder of Trouper Productions, which produces documentaries


Jessica Zucker
Director of Online Safety Policy, Ofcom

Advisory board

  • Abdullahi Alim, Head of Project 2030 at the International Chamber of Commerce
  • Brad Badertscher, Deloitte & Touche Professor of Accountancy, University of Notre Dame
  • Robert Bloomfield, Nicholas H. Noyes Professor of Management, Cornell University SC Johnson College of Business
  • Hui Chen, Professor of Accounting, University of Zurich
  • Angus Crawford, Correspondent, BBC News
  • Stephen Cushion, Director of Postgraduate Research, School of Journalism, Media and Culture, Cardiff University
  • Mark de Rond, Professor of Organisational Ethnography, Cambridge Judge Business School
  • Peter Easton, Director, Center for Accounting Research & Education, University of Notre Dame
  • Michelle Ferrier, Executive Director, Media Innovation Collaboratory; Professor, FAMU School of Journalism & Graphic Communication; Founder of TrollBusters
  • Duncan Green, Professor of Practice in International Development, London School of Economics; Senior Strategic Adviser, Oxfam GB
  • Alan Jagolinzer, Professor of Financial Accounting, Co-Director, Cambridge Centre for Financial Reporting & Accountability
  • Stephen Jolly, Professeur Agrégé de Géopolitique, ESC Rennes School of Business, Grande École; Fellow Commoner, St Edmund’s College, Cambridge; former senior British Defence official and propagandist
  • Brian Klaas, Associate Professor in Global Politics, University College London
  • Sander van der Linden, Professor of Social Psychology in Society and Director, Cambridge Social Decision-Making Laboratory, University of Cambridge
  • Miriam Matthews, Senior Behavioral and Social Scientist, RAND Corporation
  • Sarah McVay, Deloitte & Touche Endowed Professor in Accounting, University of Washington Foster School of Business
  • Joseph Pierre, MD, Health Sciences Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California at San Francisco
  • Rafael Rogo, Professor of Accounting, Co-Director, Cambridge Centre for Financial Reporting & Accountability
  • Thomas Roulet, University Senior Lecturer in Organisation Theory, University of Cambridge Judge Business School
  • Sunita Sah, Associate Professor of Management and Organizations, Cornell University
  • Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director, Stanford University Cyber Policy Center; International Policy Fellow at Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence; former Member of European Parliament.
  • David Stillwell, Lecturer in Big Data Analytics and Quantitative Social Science, Cambridge Judge Business School; Academic Director, The Psychometrics Centre, University of Cambridge
  • Ben Taylor, Global Climate Change and Sustainability Services Strategy Partner, EY London
  • Kate Wilkinson, Senior Product Manager, Full Fact

The Advisory Board membership is evolving and subject to change.

Partners

The Centre for Financial Reporting & Accountability and the Psychometrics Centre are partnering with Mendoza College of Business, the Center for Accounting Research & Education, the University of Zurich and the Journal of Financial Reporting.

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