Syracuse Sun

In an age where artificial intelligence inundates social media with misleading content, discerning truth from falsehood has become increasingly challenging. Brooke Hirsch, a creative advertising student at Newhouse School, has developed a solution to tackle this issue. Her idea, "AI vs. AI," uses the same technology responsible for spreading misinformation to combat it.

Hirsch's concept won her one of the ten Clio Awards for Student Innovation in 2024. The Clio Award is considered one of the highest honors in advertising, recognizing outstanding creativity and innovation.

Mel White, a creative advertising professor at Newhouse, praised Hirsch's work: “Brooke Hirsch created an innovative AI idea that would help move the needle on protecting people from believing deceptive AI content.” White noted that students in the program learn to create original ideas using emerging technologies to solve problems, preparing them for careers as copywriters or art directors.

The inspiration for "AI vs. AI" came after White tasked her Portfolio III students with creating a digital idea using new technology for a global brand. Hirsch chose to address AI-generated misinformation after seeing news coverage about its deceptive use.

“I’m deeply concerned about the impact of AI,” said Hirsch. “That’s when I started thinking—what if we could turn AI against itself? I know that AI has the potential to be a powerful tool for social good.”

Hirsch selected The New York Times as her brand partner due to its commitment to safeguarding truth. She developed ads encouraging readers to question their news sources and used feedback from industry professionals like Carl Peterson to refine her campaign.

The "AI vs. AI" tool aims to detect and notify users of AI-created misinformation on phones and computers in real-time by scanning images, articles, and videos for signs of manipulation or deception.

Hirsch emphasized that her project does not infringe on free speech but instead helps users avoid falling prey to misinformation by partnering with trusted sources like The New York Times.

Reflecting on her success, Hirsch credited Newhouse’s creative advertising program: “The program pushes students to be creative and encourages them to stretch an idea as far as possible.”