Canadian researchers create AI tool to combat online misinformation

The Role of AI in Combating Online Disinformation

In Regina, researchers are leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance efforts against online disinformation that aims to divide Canadians and distort reality. The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research has integrated AI technology into its debunking tool, CIPHER, which has significantly improved its ability to manage the continuous flow of false and misleading claims.

Brian McQuinn, an associate professor at the University of Regina and one of the project's leads, explained that while the current technology focuses on analyzing Russian campaigns, it is expected to expand to include Chinese language sources. It may also examine information from the United States, according to McQuinn. The tool functions by scanning foreign media sites for dubious claims, which are then evaluated by human fact-checkers.

“Russia was the main threat… targeting Canada most generally,” he said in a recent interview. “We are now beginning to shift.”

McQuinn provided an example where the system identified a Russian media outlet reporting that Alberta is moving towards independence, a claim that is factually incorrect. Although separatists in the province have held events and reportedly spoken with U.S. officials, there is no ongoing process for Alberta to separate.

“Effective disinformation often has kernels of truth in it,” McQuinn noted.

CIPHER was launched three years ago following a report by McQuinn and his colleagues that revealed pro-Kremlin social media accounts targeted far-right and far-left groups in Canada with false narratives about the war in Ukraine. This included baseless claims that Russia invaded to eliminate a neo-Nazi regime and that Ukraine sought nuclear weapons.

McQuinn emphasized that the overarching goal of disinformation campaigns is to tear societies apart and incite violence. He added that these campaigns become effective when regular people share them with their friends or family.

“(Campaigns) will use events in the news and tailor stories to advance it in different ways,” McQuinn said. “It is essential for China and for Russia, especially, to show that it looks like the Western project is decaying, is falling apart economically, politically, socially.”

He mentioned that the United States is increasingly becoming a primary source of disinformation in Canada. “You have to always remember that most of Canada’s dialogue when it comes to social media is on U.S. platforms,” McQuinn said. “We have seen that Canadian news and certain types of Canadian content are being downgraded and throttled within these algorithms.”

Artificial intelligence has been a significant source of disinformation on social media feeds, but McQuinn stated that CIPHER needed this technology to make debunking easier. “We are in an AI arms race around disinformation,” he said.

Expanding the Reach of CIPHER

The goal is to get CIPHER into the hands of government agencies or non-profits. Currently, it is being used by the debunking organization DisinfoWatch, which works to expose falsehoods to Canadians. DisinfoWatch founder Marcus Kolga called for stronger legislation and regulations on digital media platforms to prevent social media accounts from spreading lies.

"Us doing it alone is not sufficient enough. It requires technology and for us to harness existing technologies in order to sort of make up that gap that we have," he said.

McQuinn mentioned that he has spoken with government agencies about using CIPHER but declined to provide details. The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research has received funding from the federal and Alberta governments.

Tips for Canadians

McQuinn advised Canadians to take a moment before sharing content they see on social media. “If I’m going to forward something, what am I forwarding?” he said. “The research has shown if you just take like an extra 10 seconds, the amount of disinformation that gets transferred is significantly less.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 14, 2026.