When GenAI Meets Fake News: Understanding Image Cascade Dynamics on Reddit

TL;DR

This study analyzes how AI-generated images and misinformation spread on Reddit, revealing key factors influencing virality and providing a predictive framework for content moderation.

Contribution

First large-scale analysis of visual misinformation propagation on Reddit, integrating textual and visual features to predict virality and cascade spread.

Findings

Predicts immediate virality with AUC=0.83

Accurately forecasts long-term cascade spread with AUC=0.998

Identifies visual and textual factors influencing misinformation virality

Abstract

AI-generated content and misinformation are increasingly prevalent on social networks. While prior research primarily examined textual misinformation, fewer studies have focused on visual content's role in virality. In this work, we present the first large-scale analysis of how misinformation and AI-generated images propagate through repost cascades across five ideologically diverse Reddit communities. By integrating textual sentiment, visual attributes, and diffusion metrics (e.g., time-to-first repost, community reach), our framework accurately predicts both immediate post-level virality (AUC=0.83) and long-term cascade-level spread (AUC=0.998). These findings offer essential insights for moderating synthetic and misleading visual content online.