In this Square Table, Julia Jakimenko explores how AI is changing not only our ability to distinguish between what is real and what is fake, but also how we decide what deserves our trust. Beliefs can be shaped through repetition, recommendations and the perception that “everyone agrees,” while the liar’s dividend makes it possible to dismiss real evidence as “probably AI.”
Through the lens of cognitive warfare, the session examines what happens to human agency, accountability and identity as the boundary between real and synthetic becomes increasingly blurred. It looks beyond the question of whether something is authentic to consider the intent behind what we see, hear and believe, and how it may influence what we feel, do or decide.
