The house hippo returns to tackle AI this Media Literacy Week

October 21, 2024 – MediaSmarts has brought back the house hippo – this time to address the rise of AI-generated deepfakes and to encourage everyone to check the information they see online before they share it.

The AI-focused campaign is being launched during Canada’s 19^th annual Media Literacy Week, which runs from October 21 to 25 and invites teachers, students, seniors' centres, community groups, libraries and museums across Canada to celebrate by engaging in digital media literacy activities.

The Break the Fake house hippo campaign is funded by the Government of Canada and it’s part of MediaSmarts’ new AI literacy initiative, which includes a guide to AI funded by Meta, lesson plans for teachers, tipsheets and new educational videos.

Quotes:

“The house hippo is a perfect reminder that it’s easier than ever to be fooled by what we see on our screens, particularly with the rise of deepfakes,” said Kathryn Ann Hill, Executive Director of MediaSmarts. “MediaSmarts believes it’s important to teach people of all ages AI literacy skills, which are founded in media literacy. If we all take a moment to pause and check before we share information with our friends and family, especially when it comes to topics like politics and health, we can help stop the spread of misinformation.”
“The surge of misinformation and disinformation online is increasing, especially with the rapid advance of generative AI technologies. This global challenge threatens not only the confidence Canadians have in the media and institutions, but also in our democracy,” said the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage. “Campaigns like MediaSmarts’ Break the Fake have a critical role to play in teaching us to examine what we see online more critically. Making people aware and mobilizing them is important so that technological innovation, including AI, happens in an ethical and responsible way, while respecting our democratic values.”

MediaSmarts is currently conducting a research study to test the effectiveness of the Break the Fake campaign videos, using surveys and focus groups to measure its impact on participants’ ability to recognize and respond to false information. The results will be released in 2025.

The third annual Digital Citizen Day (October 23), sponsored by TikTok Canada, also takes place during Media Literacy Week, encouraging everyone to make our digital spaces better and share their experiences online using #DigitalCitizenDay.

MediaSmarts experts are available for interviews to discuss:

Why the house hippo is back
Four easy steps to check a story in under a minute
Why people fall for misinformation and the kinds of AI-generated deepfakes we’re seeing
What AI literacy is and its importance
The impact of Media Literacy Week and Digital Citizen Day
What it means to be a responsible digital citizen
How to make social media feeds and other online spaces more inclusive and safer
How to participate in #DigitalCitizenDay

Check out the full events listings to see all the activities taking place during Media Literacy Week.

Experts available for interview:

Matthew Johnson, Director of Education at MediaSmarts
Kara Brisson-Boivin, Director of Research at MediaSmarts
Kathryn Ann Hill, Executive Director of MediaSmarts
Marc-Alexandre Ladouceur, Media Education Specialist (bilingual) at MediaSmarts

The Break the Fake project has been made possible by the Government of Canada.

Media Literacy Week is sponsored by Amazon Canada, Bell, Google, Meta, TELUS Wise, TikTok Canada, and YouTube

With support from the Alberta Teachers' Association, l’Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens, the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association, the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association, the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation

Digital Citizen Day is sponsored by TikTok Canada

Join the conversation:

Contact:

Tricia Grant
Director of Marketing and Communications
MediaSmarts
613-224-7721 ext. 231
tgrant@mediasmarts.ca

MediaSmarts is Canada's bilingual charitable centre for digital media literacy. For over 27 years, MediaSmarts has advanced digital media literacy in Canadian schools, homes and communities. Visit www.mediasmarts.ca to learn more.