Can you trust AI in the news? UK's Ian Dunt and guests on deepfakes, dodgy headlines and more

These days, more Australians get their news from their social media feed than traditional media outlets. Meanwhile artificial intelligence is supercharging the war on information, and distorting the news media's business model, while politicians flood the zone with sh*t as a deliberate media strategy. So what do AI and the algorithms mean for the news and for journalism, and how can we regain control of our information ecosystem? The conversation Truth, Lies and the Algorithm was recorded at the Brimbank Writers and Readers Festival on 15 March 2026. Speakers Ian Dunt UK political columnist, The I Paper Author, How Westminster Works and Why it Doesn't, Conspiracy Theory: The Story of an Idea (with Dorian Lynskey), and more Dr Mathew Marques Senior Lecturer in Psychology, La Trobe University Rita Arrigo AI consultant Luke Siddham Dundon (host) Radio journalist and news presenter, ABC Radio National Breakfast and the Breakfast Wrap