The fake virus: How to separate the fact from the fiction

Recent examples of phoney sports stories going viral are as numerous as they are concerning, writes Adam Moynihan

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If you’ve been finding it increasingly difficult to separate fact from fiction online, you’re not alone. It seems like social media is flooded with fake news these days, and the rise of AI has muddied waters that were already pretty murky to begin with. It can be hard to know what, or whom, to believe.

Recent examples of phoney sports stories going viral are as numerous as they are concerning. At least three involving the golfer Rory McIlroy gained huge traction in the aftermath of the Ryder Cup, which took place in the United States in late September. According to widely shared social media posts, McIlroy donated his $10.9m tournament bonus to a homeless charity in Northern Ireland; he met a seriously ill girl on a flight, gave her his seat in business class, and offered to pay her medical bills; and he vowed to never play golf in the USA again.