Logically partner with Punjab Engineering College and the Cyber Security Research Centre in Chandigarh

Mar 30, 2022

Logically, a technology company using advanced AI to tackle misinformation, along with Punjab Engineering College (PEC) and the Cyber Security Research Centre in Chandigarh (CSRC), leading research and technical institutes, have launched an ambitious research partnership that will develop new methods for the detection and analysis of fake news, propaganda and disinformation on social media in India.

The partnership will combine PEC and CSRC’s expertise in computer software development with Logically’s industry-leading capabilities in developing and applying advanced technology to combat disinformation. It aims to technically contribute to datasets and computational models that can reliably detect information security threats, cyber warfare and threats to India's interests in its surrounding geographies in South Asia.

As part of the partnership, researchers will develop methods that can better identify and locate the actors behind the spread of harmful disinformation threatening national security. The team has announced that they will soon be working on pilot deployments, making significant steps forward in the development of technical tools to further the fight against spread of fake news in India, a problem that has grown exponentially since the outbreak of the pandemic.

The programme will also include training young people and citizens on how to identify fake news and adopt fact checking practices such as checking credible sources to act as responsible citizens online.

As a part of the partnership, PhD scholars and  M.Tech students of CSRC are carrying out the research work in collaboration with Logically and are being supported with real time testing validations by the company.

Dr Anil Bandhakavi, Head of Data Science at Logically, said: “We are excited to be working with such prestigious institutions as the Punjab Engineering College and the Cyber Security Research Centre. Staying at the cutting-edge of research in this field is of crucial importance, as the threats and actors we are confronting are evolving and becoming more advanced every day. Together, I am confident we will make significant steps forward in the development of technical tools to further the fight against harmful disinformation in India, a problem we have seen grow exponentially since the outbreak of the pandemic.”

*Dr. Divya Bansal, Head of Cyber Security Research Centre at PEC said that the collaborations are aimed towards indigenising the production and availability of cutting-edge cyber tools/software and products, vital for national cyber security and interests and contributing towards making the country a leading cyber power of the world. The research solutions are being aimed to be translated to capabilities which will contribute to applications in national security i.e. early warnings against illicit acts, and flagging misleading content.

The collaborations will give a boost to the ongoing research and provide the much-needed expertise to the institutes’ PhD scholars in communication and journalism and utilize their own expertise in Artificial Intelligence techniques to combat problems such as spread of fake news, malicious users, hate content etc.

Mr. Lyric Jain, CEO and Founder of Logically recently took a session in PEC on the topic “Tackling Misinformation and Improving Civic Discourse through Artificial Intelligence”. The session was under the Cyber Swachta Mission of UT Police in partnership with PEC.

Sh. Ketan Bansal, IPS, SP, Cyber Crimes, UT Police said: The partnership between academia and industry is a welcome step and will facilitate focused research in advanced cyber technology and help us address specific issues of the region.”

About Logically

Founded in 2017 by MIT and Cambridge alum Lyric Jain, Logically combines advanced AI with one of the world’s largest dedicated fact-checking teams to help governments, businesses and the public uncover and address harmful misinformation and deliberate disinformation. The company’s mission is to enhance civic discourse, protect democratic debate and process, and provide access to trustworthy information. In 2021, Logically was awarded the 11th Annual AEGIS Graham Bell Award for Innovation in Artificial Intelligence. In 2020, Logically was awarded first place in the News category of the AatmaNirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge’ launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The company has offices in India, the UK, and the US. For more information, please visit Logically.

The company has existing academic partnerships with the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology in Delhi and the University of Sheffield in the UK.

About the Cyber Security Research Centre

The Cyber Security Research Centre has been established with the primary focus to conduct applied Research & Development on cyber threats and countermeasures, secure multi-level information sharing, resilient command and control network architectures, social media and data analytics. The Centre also runs educational programmes and performs outreach activities and contributes towards framing of standards and guidelines, policies, metrics and practices to protect our nation’s information and communication systems. The Centre closely collaborates with National Security Agencies, LEAs, Government, Academia and other International Forums to foster research in the area. Drawing on the strengths from Computer Science & Engineering, the Centre is progressing well to become a valuable regional and national asset for the development of readiness and incidence response for protecting the nation's Cyberspace.