Prof. Dr. Cengiz Erişen: Human-AI Interaction and Misinformation in Social Media

As part of the Department of International Relations Seminar Series, we invite you to a talk titled "Human-AI Interaction and Misinformation in Social Media" by Prof. Dr. Cengiz Erişen. Join us on April 15 at 10:30!

Summary

Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming embedded in everyday life, shaping how we access
information, communicate, and make decisions. One domain where these transformations are
particularly consequential is the evaluation of misinformation, where individuals’ familiarity
with and trust in AI may shape how they assess the credibility of competing claims. This talk
examines how individuals respond to misinformation and conspiracy narratives in these
emerging AI-driven environments. In particular, it considers how attitudes toward AI influence
the ways citizens evaluate misinformation and respond to corrective information. Building on
research in political psychology and political communication, the analysis draws on survey data
and experimental studies to examine how platform environments, information formats, and AI-
generated content shape misinformation discernment and patterns of social media engagement.
The findings highlight the importance of incorporating behavioral models into the study of
human–AI interaction, particularly for understanding how citizens react to political information
in rapidly evolving digital environments.

Biography

Cengiz Erişen is a Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Yeditepe
University. His research lies at the intersection of political psychology, misinformation, and
digital political communication. He examines how psychological mechanisms involving
emotions, motivated reasoning, and conspiracy beliefs shape political attitudes and behavior in
information environments. His most recent work focuses on how social media platforms and
emerging AI-generated content influence the reception of misinformation and conspiracy
narratives. Using experimental design, survey research, and computational approaches, his
research investigates how individuals process politically relevant information across different
domains and national contexts. His work has been published in leading journals and his projects
have received support from national and international funding agencies, including TÜBİTAK,
European Commission, National Science Foundation, and Korean National Research
Foundation.