VeraCT Scan: Retrieval-Augmented Fake News Detection with Justifiable Reasoning

TL;DR

VeraCT Scan is a retrieval-augmented fake news detection system that extracts core facts, searches for corroboration, and provides transparent reasoning, achieving state-of-the-art accuracy and interpretability.

Contribution

The paper introduces VeraCT Scan, a novel system combining retrieval, fact verification, and explainability for improved fake news detection.

Findings

Achieved state-of-the-art accuracy in fake news detection

Provides transparent evidence and reasoning for veracity judgments

Utilizes fine-tuned GPT-4 Turbo and Llama-2 13B models

Abstract

The proliferation of fake news poses a significant threat not only by disseminating misleading information but also by undermining the very foundations of democracy. The recent advance of generative artificial intelligence has further exacerbated the challenge of distinguishing genuine news from fabricated stories. In response to this challenge, we introduce VeraCT Scan, a novel retrieval-augmented system for fake news detection. This system operates by extracting the core facts from a given piece of news and subsequently conducting an internet-wide search to identify corroborating or conflicting reports. Then sources' credibility is leveraged for information verification. Besides determining the veracity of news, we also provide transparent evidence and reasoning to support its conclusions, resulting in the interpretability and trust in the results. In addition to GPT-4 Turbo, Llama-2 13B is also fine-tuned for news content understanding, information verification, and reasoning. Both implementations have demonstrated state-of-the-art accuracy in the realm of fake news detection.