Author Name:
Andrew V. Edwards
Book Title:
Army of Liars
Website URL:
https://www.andrewvedwards.com/
Link to book page on Amazon:
Social Media Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewvedwards/
https://www.instagram.com/andrewvedwards1/
What is your book about?
Following up on his groundbreaking book Digital is Destroying Everything, Army of Liars now unveils the sinister agenda of an army of liars, the digitally driven bad actors seeking to destabilize the United States by eroding the very foundations of liberal democracy with a relentless barrage of fabricated narratives and poisonous, digitally promoted disinformation.
Pulling no punches, Edwards identifies the culprits: social media platforms protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, audience targeting, real-time content recommendation, foreign state actors, and radical factions fueled by hate. Today’s social media has been weaponized by enemies of the United States, and hate and discord are now the currency of thousands of anonymous “content providers.”
Army of Liars unpacks how we got here, what exactly is wrong with digital enterprise and how to go about fixing it so that humanity may survive even in an age of artificial intelligence and digital command and control. Should we implement an “engagement tax” on social media platforms and generative AI? These funds could be used to help fight off the worst types of disinformation and to help fund the efforts of content creators whose work has been scraped, stolen, and reconfigured by generative AI and large language models (LLMs).
It’s a safe bet the tech giants won’t want to hear it. Army of Liars is designed to help humans not only survive in a digital age but to conquer digital and prosper in an age of truth in media.
What inspired you to write your book?
As a veteran digital technologist, I became very concerned that social media was in the business of destroying civil society; unlike many, I knew why and how they were doing it! And was astonished at how little people really understand “how all this works” and especially how we might stop it.
If you have a business related to your book, tell us about it:
I created nonprofit called Verity7, an anti-disinformation training and educational company.
What is a typical day like for you?
My typical day includes working on my next book Internet Fairy Dust, tending a garden, and getting ready for my next speaking engagement about disinformation.
What do you most enjoy about what you do?
I enjoy showing people how we can win the fight against the tidal wave of disinformation that is destroying our country.
What are some favorite books you’d recommend to our readers?
I believe the great American novel has been written, and it’s called An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser. My favorite thing about it is that, despite its publication 100 years ago, it describes a typical American dilemma: a strict religious upbringing, a taste for luxury, moral turpitude, violence and, in the end, a rude sort of justice.
What advice do you have to offer our readers?
Write to your congressperson and make sure they understand that you dislike disinformation in social media, and that they should support the repeal of Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I am a nationally exhibited painter.
What’s next for you?
More writing about anti-disinformation, more speaking engagements. Spreading the word!
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