Public trust in truth is declining at an alarming pace. Across continents, societies are experiencing a dangerous shift: Citizens are no longer certain about what is real. Facts are questioned as though they are opinions. Accurate reporting is often brushed off as biased, depending on the reader’s views. Fabricated claims spread faster than carefully documented evidence.Democracy depends on shared facts. Without them, disagreement becomes hostility, and debate turns into confusion.Not long ago, before the massive expansion of social media connected billions of people from places of comfort to zones of conflict, journalism operated under clearer standards. News organizations did not publish serious accusations without confirming them through multiple independent sources. Editors demanded documentation. Accuracy was not optional; it was foundational. Mistakes occurred, but credibility mattered.Today, information spreads very quickly. News, photos, and videos move around the world in seconds, often without context or fact-checking. A rumor shared in one country can anger people in another within minutes. The editors who once separated fact from fiction have been replaced by algorithms that push whatever is fastest and most emotional.Subsequently, there was a rapid development of artificial intelligence. AI carries enormous promise. It assists doctors in detecting disease, supports engineers in designing safer infrastructure, and helps educators reach students more effectively. Yet alongside these benefits lies a darker reality. AI tools can now generate realistic images, videos, and voices that blur the line between authentic and fabricated. A convincing speech can be created without a speaker ever uttering those words. A document can be altered seamlessly. A public figure may appear to have said something they never said.Once misinformation starts spreading, it becomes hard to stop. Millions of people may form opinions before checking the facts, if they ever do, and those first impressions often stick. Later corrections reach fewer people, move much more slowly than dramatic claims, and rarely change minds that were already made up.This phenomenon is not limited to the US. It is global. Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and X have transformed how we consume information. They have also become sources of income for millions of content creators. The more dramatic the claim, the higher the engagement. The more controversial the accusation, the greater the visibility. In this environment, verification often takes a back seat to virality.Younger generations are particularly vulnerable. Many teenagers and even children rely primarily on short videos and posts for news. Complex geopolitical conflicts are reduced to one-minute summaries. Historical events are explained without context. Over time, this would reshape how citizens understand politics, culture, and global affairs. 

The loss of shared facts is dangerous for democracy. A healthy system depends on citizens who can evaluate policies, leaders, and institutions based on reliable information. Elections work only if voters can tell evidence from rumor. Public debate works only when people share at least some basic understanding of reality. When that foundation weakens, polarization deepens. Citizens retreat into separate information ecosystems. Each group develops its own version of events. Dialogue becomes increasingly difficult because people no longer debate interpretations; they debate the existence of facts themselves.I recently experienced a small but telling example of this shift. During a discussion with a professional acquaintance, she criticized a statement attributed to a political figure and asked for my opinion. The alleged remark was shocking. I responded that it seemed unlikely and asked for the source. After searching for nearly half an hour, we found no credible report confirming the claim. She eventually admitted she had heard it from a social media activist. The conversation ended not in disagreement, but in the recognition that the foundation of the argument was unstable, and perhaps she still believes it happened anyway.If educated adults struggle to distinguish verified information from viral content, what does this mean for younger generations raised entirely within digital ecosystems?Artificial intelligence now intensifies this challenge. Deepfake technology can simulate speeches with striking realism. AI-generated text can mimic official press releases. Fabricated documents can appear authentic at first glance. As these tools become more accessible, malicious actors, whether driven by politics, profit, or simply notoriety, gain unprecedented power to manipulate perception.The long-term effects are harmful. When people stop trusting what they see and hear, they may begin to doubt everything. This does not always make them research more; it often makes them give up. People participate less because checking facts feels exhausting. In such an environment, conspiracy theories proliferate.Democracy cannot function on suspicion alone. It requires accountability, transparency, and verifiable facts.Rebuilding trust is difficult but necessary. Media outlets must prioritize accuracy; tech companies should limit the spread of deception; schools should teach media literacy; individuals should verify information before sharing; and political leaders must act honestly, as truth is the basis of legitimacy.The challenge before us is profound. Technology will continue to advance, and information will move even faster. The boundary between authentic and artificial may become harder to discern. Yet the principle remains simple: Democracy depends on trust, and trust depends on truth.If societies lose their shared understanding of facts, they lose the ability to deliberate wisely. When verification disappears, manipulation thrives, and when manipulation thrives, freedom weakens.Trust in truth is essential for a free society. Restoring it requires the efforts of journalists, technology companies, educators, leaders, and citizens.The task is difficult and may indeed be the defining challenge of our era. But if we fail to restore verification and protect shared facts, we risk leaving future generations not merely confused, but divided and disconnected from the very principles that sustain democracy.

• Dalia Al-Aqidi is executive director at the American Center for Counter Extremism.

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