We are deluged with more data and information today than ever before. But a lot of it is false. What’s true and what isn’t?
Our very lives may depend on our answers, because thoughts can have dramatic consequences.
One way to improve the quality of our decision-making is by critical thinking.
Critical thinking is all about asking questions and being logical about assessing the answers we get. To engage in good critical thinking, there are three questions we should constantly ask:
These three questions are central to the practice of critical thinking, and there's no such thing as asking them too many times.
An example of using critical thinking in a current, real-world matter involves the use of artificial intelligence. Is it safe or dangerous?
One of the people most knowledgable about AI is Sam Altman. He is a scientist who helped develop AI into its current state of usability. He is highly visible and has been giving speeches and interviews, saying that he believes that AI is one of the most valuable and important tools available in our world today.
However…
Sam Altman is also the founder and CEO of Open AI, which is currently offering ChatGPT, Open AI’s AI tool on the market for sale. Though other scientists have been talking about possible grave dangers resulting for the use of AI, Sam Altman has been downplaying those dangers.
So should we take Sam Altman’s reassurance that we don’t need to worry about harm from AI?
I believe that critical thinking would prudently say, “No.” Altman stands to make a great deal of money if the rest of us think AI is safe and buy his product. We’re better off listening to people who don’t have a dramatic financial stake in the success of AI.
In addition to asking these three critical-thinking questions, another way to spot misinformation is by more analytically assessing the things we read. We need to elevate our media literacy.
Two researchers who are studying disinformation and media literacy are Darren Linvill and Patrick Warren of Clemson University. They have developed a tool for enhancing media literacy called Spot the Troll. It is available free online.
The site offers eight social media profiles and a quiz asking takers to identify which profiles are legitimate and which are fake. It then teaches quiz takers criteria by which they can determine the legitimacy of any social media profiles they may encounter in the future.
It's important to have tools for determining what’s true and what isn’t.
There isn’t any substitute for truth!
© David Evans
Elections Are Coming. Can You Spot the Fakes?
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03.01.2024
We are deluged with more data and information today than ever before. But a lot of it is false. What’s true and what isn’t?
Our very lives may depend on our answers, because thoughts can have dramatic consequences.
One way to improve the quality of our decision-making is by critical thinking.
Critical thinking is all about asking questions and being logical about assessing the answers we get. To engage in good critical thinking, there are three questions we should constantly ask:
These three questions are central to the practice of critical thinking, and there's no such thing as asking them too many times.
An example........
© Psychology Today
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