ID: 1750
Presenting Author: Mehreen Khan
Session: 664 - IAIA academia section: IA teaching and research in the age of misinformation and disinformation
Status: pending
This paper looks at the sources of misleading or inaccurate information in the IA teaching and research, examines its effect on academic quality and gives recommendation to deal with the issue.
In the current digital era marked by a boom in Artificial Intelligence (AI), there is growing concern regarding the information available to public and its potential impact on the quality of Impact Assessment (IA) particularly in countries with already compromised IA systems. The objective of this study was to explore how misinformation and disinformation influence the quality of IA teaching and research in Pakistan, and to propose strategies to ensure academic integrity and resilience. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with IA teachers and researchers across Pakistan. The study investigated the key channels through which misleading or inaccurate information enters the IA teaching and research, examined the effect of such information on academic quality and public trust, analyzed the role of AI in enhancing or mitigating the issue, and explored strategies to deal with misinformation and disinformation. The findings revealed various sources and vulnerabilities of the existing system such as poor-quality reports; poor critical thinking, analytical and data verification skills; outdated curriculum and teaching methods; inaccuracies in AI generated data; over-reliance on AI tools; lack of training on ethical data usage; and limited research in IA. Respondents emphasized on the importance of updating curricula, modifying teaching methods, and promoting ethical use of AI in teaching and research. The findings of the study will help improve the quality of IA teaching and research not just in Pakistan but also in countries with similar weaknesses in the IA system.
Dr Mehreen Khan is an Assistant Professor at Lahore School of Economics, Pakistan. She specializes in Impact Assessment and has multiple publications in the field
Coauthor 1: Muhammad Nawaz Chaudhry