Dialogue | Devpost

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Vertical: Learning

Inspiration: Online media is the dominant source of information for many because of its fast, convenient nature. Unfortunately, this quickness leads to biases and blatant falseness being embedded into information that is easily consumed without critical examination. Even media outlets dedicated to accurate reporting sometimes prioritize promoting certain beliefs over presenting current and historical events in their most precise context.

In the present-day media landscape, various techniques are employed, such as generalizations, stereotypes, the use of complex language to vilify opposing groups, and the crafting of elaborate arguments based on scanty facts. By conducting a diligent assessment of truthfulness and credibility and simultaneously exposing ourselves to opposing viewpoints, we can foster a more enlightened public and contribute to a healthier society.

How it works: Dialogue is a website dedicated to the critical analysis and fact-checking of online political discourse. When a user submits the URL of a political article, our platform conducts a meticulous line-by-line examination, deconstructing the article into its essential components. The first key differentiation lies in distinguishing between facts and arguments.

Dialogue classifies each statement within the article into two categories: facts, which comprise observable and verifiable information, and subjective observations grounded in those facts. Facts are subjected to a rigorous truthfulness assessment, and if a fact is found to be significantly contradicted online, it is promptly flagged as untruthful. Meanwhile, arguments are assessed for their political position and strength, then presented alongside counterarguments and rebuttal points that would be brought up by media sources with opposing viewpoints in a debate.

The evaluative information is seamlessly integrated with the original content, and each analysis is linked to its source line, providing an accessible and interactive experience for the user. Furthermore, an analytical tab offers a comprehensive overview of the media source's reliability, political leanings, disputed facts, arguments, and counterarguments.

Here's a breakdown of our development process:

Data Collection: We initiated the process by utilizing a web scraper to extract the HTML content from various news sources. This served as the initial source of information for our analysis.
Analytical Step: Subsequently, we fed this extracted data through the ChatGPT model to perform a detailed line-by-line analysis. This allowed us to scrutinize and evaluate the content comprehensively.
User Interface: To ensure a user-friendly experience, we employed Streamlit to create and present our website. Streamlit facilitates the seamless display of our analysis and findings for users, making it easy to navigate and understand.