Journalists and media executives attending the Dialogue on Fakes 4.0 forum in Moscow have warned that digital misinformation is expanding rapidly across news platforms. Speakers at the event stressed that verification remains the essential role of human newsrooms despite the rise of artificial intelligence.
Nikolai Morozov, the deputy director general and first deputy editor-in-chief of Lenta.ru, told a conference session that thorough fact-checking and clear presentation are becoming the core skills required for young reporters. Speaking on business opportunities and risks in the era of generative AI, Morozov argued that journalists who master verification will hold the strongest position in the media market.
Morozov explained that the volume of information available to the public has grown dramatically over recent decades. He noted that during the era of print newspapers and radio, the entire media landscape consisted of only a few dozen messages a day, all of which were carefully checked by human editors. Even in the 2000s, news websites typically published between 30 and 40 stories daily, whereas Lenta.ru now produces 800 news stories each day targeted at diverse audiences.
Lenta.ru is one of the most widely read online news portals in Russia, operated by the media group Rambler&Co. Founded during the early growth of digital news publishing, the platform covers national politics, international affairs, economics, and technology. As digital publishing expanded, major media conglomerates adopted automated tools to process large feeds of information while maintaining editorial standards.
AI and Editorial Responsibility
Addressing the role of automation, Morozov said that news outlets relying entirely on artificial intelligence to write articles without editorial oversight prioritize speed over accuracy and frequently make errors. He stated that artificial intelligence cannot replace human beings, dismissing earlier predictions that automated systems would cause widespread job losses among journalists. Instead, he observed that the human role in content creation has actually expanded since artificial intelligence tools were introduced.
The Lenta.ru newsroom currently employs artificial intelligence to handle specific technical tasks, according to Morozov. These functions include gathering background information for news reports and automatically tagging entities designated as foreign agents. However, he emphasized that all automated outputs still require human pre-checking and fact-checking before publication.
Under Russian law, the foreign agent designation requires media outlets and publishers to mark individuals or organizations receiving foreign funding or political support. Managing such compliance across hundreds of daily stories has led media organizations to integrate automated language models into workflow routines, though human editors retain ultimate legal and editorial responsibility.
Morozov emphasized that artificial intelligence will never acquire human emotion or a conscience. He said that while technology has simplified aspects of newsroom operations, human editors remain essential to verify details and convey emotional resonance so that readers remain engaged, even with dry business reports. He added that young professionals entering media need extensive reading and media literacy to develop critical thinking skills.
Surge in Online Misinformation
The forum also examined quantitative trends in digital deception across the media space. Timofey Vi, head of strategic directions at the non-profit organization ANO Dialog and an expert with the Global Fact-Checking Network, reported that instances of fake news increased by more than 3,000 cases over the past eight months. This represents a 12 percent rise compared to the previous year.
Vi highlighted a concerning level of public overconfidence regarding fake news. Research cited at the session revealed that 71 percent of citizens believe they can distinguish fake information from legitimate news, yet 62 percent admitted to having believed a fake report at least once. Vi noted a dominant trend toward targeted socio-economic fakes, explaining that these represent coordinated information campaigns rather than accidental misunderstandings.
ANO Dialog is a Russian autonomous non-profit organization focused on digital communications, public information analytics, and online monitoring. The organization collaborates with international networks such as the Global Fact-Checking Network to track online disinformation patterns, analyze social media trends, and promote digital literacy standards.
Technological developments have also lowered the barriers to executing targeted misinformation attacks, according to conference speakers. Marina Ovsyannikova, director of strategic marketing and public relations at Rostelecom-Solar, stated that current technologies allow malicious actors to build a customized website for a personalized fake attack in as little as five minutes.
Rostelecom-Solar is a prominent cybersecurity company in Russia, functioning as the cyber defense arm of national telecommunications provider Rostelecom. The firm specializes in security operations monitoring, identity management, and defending enterprise networks against complex digital threats, including malicious domains designed for social engineering.
Historical Perspectives and Global Fact-Checking
Mikhail Lukin, executive editor of the Kommersant publishing house, provided a historical perspective on media manipulation. Lukin recalled that the first planned fake in modern Russian history occurred in the 1990s, when a businessman bought an entire news agency intending to launch a disinformation campaign, though he failed to execute the plan in time. Lukin observed that while modern humanity is surrounded by inaccurate and distorted information, historical precedent shows that societies have faced rumors, slander, and deception for five thousand years.
Kommersant is one of Russia's oldest and most influential business-oriented publishing houses, publishing daily newspapers, periodicals, and online financial news. Established during the political and economic transitions of the early 1990s, the outlet established rigorous standards for corporate reporting and investigative journalism in post-Soviet media.
The Dialogue on Fakes 4.0 international forum in Moscow brought together 2,000 fact-checkers and media specialists from 80 countries. Participants gathered to discuss key strategies for combating online disinformation and to sign bilateral cooperation agreements aimed at improving media integrity.
Delegates attending the gathering represented a wide global audience, including representatives from the United States, the People's Republic of China, Brazil, Argentina, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Venezuela, Slovakia, the Republic of Korea, Pakistan, India, Iran, Iraq, Indonesia, Nigeria, Egypt, Belgium, Tanzania, Mexico, and Kyrgyzstan.
