Impact of Using Generative AI based Podcasts for Countering Misinformation

Last registered on April 30, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Impact of Using Generative AI based Podcasts for Countering Misinformation
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0015649
Initial registration date
April 23, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
April 30, 2025, 8:43 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
Pakistan
Region
Punjab

Primary Investigator

Name
Ayesha Ali
Affiliation
Lahore University of Management Sciences
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Ihsan Ayyub Qazi
PI Affiliation
Lahore University of Management Sciences
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-03-26
End date
2025-07-31
Keywords
Education, Other
Additional Keywords
social media, misinformation, informational interventions
JEL code(s)
D83, L86, L82, O10
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We investigate the causal effect of a novel AI-generated audio podcast intervention as a media literacy tool to combat misinformation. By examining how engaging podcast narratives can enable individuals to learn about source credibility and emotional appeals, this research seeks to generate evidence on the effectiveness of deploying AI-generated audio content as a scalable, accessible tool for strengthening societal resilience against the proliferation of false information.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Ali, Ayesha and Ihsan Ayyub Qazi. 2025. "Impact of Using Generative AI based Podcasts for Countering Misinformation." AEA RCT Registry. April 30. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.15649-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention (Hidden)
Participants in the treatment group will listen to a 10-minute podcast generated by Google's NotebookLM AI platform, specifically designed to address misinformation through critical thinking and analytical reasoning. The podcast will emphasize methods to identify misinformation online, and illustrate these concepts using relevant contextual examples. Participants in the control group will listed to a 10-minute placebo audio with neutral and unrelated content.
Intervention Start Date
2025-04-25
Intervention End Date
2025-05-08

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Accuracy rate
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
The proportion of news stories accurately identified as true or false by a respondent.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
250 participants assigned with equal probability to Treatment (T) and Control (C). Participants in T will be exposed to a media literacy treatment on identifying misinformation. Post-treatment, participants will provide accuracy judgments on a set of false and true news stories.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer,
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
250
Sample size: planned number of observations
250
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
125
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Lahore University Management Sciences
IRB Approval Date
2025-04-11
IRB Approval Number
LUMS-IRB-0370/04112025/IAQ-FWA-00030383
Analysis Plan

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Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials