Welcome to the Digital Information Resilience: Restoring Trust and Nudging Behaviors in Digitalisation Programme

This programme, funded under the MOE AcRF T3 Grant, is an interdisciplinary research initiative that seeks to address the rising problem of mis-, dis-, and mal-information (MDM) in the complex terrain of our digital world. It recognizes the limitations of existing, mainly technical interventions, and adopts a comprehensive approach that emphasizes the role of consumer behaviour in the creation, dissemination, and consumption of digital information. Leveraging expertise from both computer science and social sciences, the programme aims to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in the digital information pipeline, develop strategies to foster digital resilience among online users, and encourage behaviour towards trustworthy information.

The programme is structured into three main Research Spheres (RS):

• RS1 utilizes behavioral science to understand the motivations and decisions of consumers when they interact with digital information. The goal is to quantify and create models of behaviour and to devise a framework that counters the entrenchment of MDM online.

• RS2 encompasses of three Technology Domains (TD), each signifying different phases of the digital information pipeline:
  • TD1 employs machine learning techniques to detect and assess MDM across both text and visual content.

  • TD2 examines the influence of recommender systems and social media networks on shaping opinions and facilitating the formation of echo chambers.

  • TD3 uses natural language processing and information science to help consumers analyse information from diverse viewpoints.

• RS3 investigates interventions pertinent to policy and assesses how regulation and policies influence the supply and demand of digital information.