On the day one of Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, a session discussed the challenges of misinformation and how it can be curbed.

Each of the speakers in the session shared their point-of-view in the panel. 

Ian Russell, chair, Molly Rose Foundation

"We can create change by seeking to make a difference in our personal lives. This might be as simple as keeping our smartphones out of our bedrooms at night. We can call change in our workplace by seeking new ways of working. We can call governments, introduce evidence, and safety measures. Harmful tech is not inevitable. What is inevitable is that we will have to go beyond the perfect blanket to make a meaningful difference."

 Charlotte Scaddan, senior advisor on information integrity, United Nations

"I have travelled around the world, and I hear the same challenges from them over and over, which are contending with misinformation and hate speech. Misinformation is a global vulnerability for which the community is insufficiently prepared. We are not ready to deal with it. Misinformation is a terrible virus, and we need an efficient response to it. Because of social media penetration, the challenge has become even greater. Another thing that we hear from the people around the world is that they don't know what is real anymore and what to believe. So, even if vital information reaches them, they are still questioning it. The advertising community has the power to change this. They can use their creativity and budget to address the issue."

Rupen Desai, CMO, Una Terra

"The system we live in has been created over the last decade, making people see what they see, feel what they feel and think what they think. This system is controlled by a few and works for the benefit of the few. That's the Truman Show we are living in. The well-being of all of us and the meaning is at serious risk. The Truman Show that is being propounded has serious implications for the overall well-being. We are no longer in the attention economy; we are in the addiction economy. We are not AI haters. We are AI haters in the hands of a few, predominantly white men, in one geography of the world. As a marketer, change where you are spending the money. As an advertiser, a media person and an agency person, each one of has a superpower. Somehow, we seem to have left it to the advertising platform. A better and more transparent dollar spent with the right material behind it, supporting the right journalism, is more effective."