Cal Poly, Snopes collaborate to improve user experience with AI
Cal Poly campus.
Prototype uses Amazon Bedrock
– The Cal Poly Digital Transformation Hub (DxHub), in collaboration with Snopes.com and powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), has integrated generative artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize user interactions with factual content.
This partnership with Snopes uses AI technologies, such as Amazon Bedrock, to enhance user experiences by providing concise, accurate summaries and answers to queries based on Snopes’ extensive repository of fact-checked articles. The 30-year-old organization is the oldest and largest fact-checking site online, regarded by journalists, folklorists, and readers as an invaluable research companion.
Generative AI, which can generate text, images, videos, or other data using generative models, has emerged as a pivotal tool in digital transformation, capable of synthesizing vast amounts of information to deliver precise insights quickly. Recognizing this potential, Snopes sought to streamline access to its meticulously fact-checked articles, enabling users to find information efficiently.
“As misinformation proliferates online, it’s crucial to empower users with accurate, verifiable information,” said DxHub Operations Director Dustin DeBrum. “Through our collaboration with Snopes, we’ve developed a sophisticated AI system powered by AWS that not only enhances user experience but also upholds the integrity of information.”
Cal Poly students have played a key role in this project. Under the guidance of industry experts and leveraging AWS services, students gained invaluable experiential learning opportunities.
The prototype uses Amazon Bedrock, a fully managed service offering high-performing foundation models (FMs) from leading AI companies via a single programming interface (API). It includes safeguards against misinformation by indicating when data is insufficient to provide a comprehensive and accurate answer to the user’s query. Further technical details and the open-source code can be found here.
By integrating generative AI, Snopes can provide users with accurate, citable sources while minimizing the risk of AI hallucinations — incorrect or misleading results that AI models generate.
This approach enhances the user experience and helps Snopes identify emerging trends and areas for new content. The partnership with DxHub has enabled Snopes to leverage cutting-edge technology powered by AWS to maintain its position as a trusted source of information in the digital age.
For further details, including supporting documents such as source code and architecture diagrams, visit: https://dxhub.calpoly.edu/challenges/snopes-launches-factbot-an-ai-service-to-fact-check-your-questions/.
