Butterfly Data wins 4 awards at global SAS Hackathon

Butterfly Data, a UK-based team of technology consultants, has been recognised with four awards at the global SAS Hackathon for developing a generative AI solution to combat misinformation.

The solution, created to address the pervasive issue of misinformation and disinformation, utilises advanced natural language processing and classification models. Misinformation, whether spread through traditional platforms or social media, significantly impacts decision-making processes in various sectors, including businesses, governments, and news organisations, and also affects public perception.

According to a report by The Alan Turing Institute, 94% of people in the UK have witnessed misinformation on social media. This widespread phenomenon has driven a surge in research as experts strive to understand and mitigate its effects. Butterfly Data's project aims to curtail misinformation by facilitating the transparent assessment of news sources.

Will Hauwert, Senior Manager at Butterfly Data, stressed the importance of ensuring data reliability: "Data can shape decisions with real-world consequences, so it is essential to ensure its reliability. Our project offers a practical solution to the growing problem of misinformation, helping analysts and decision-makers use trustworthy information in their work."

Hauwert further highlighted the potential impact of the tool, particularly for news outlets and social media providers: "We believe this advanced NLP tool can be a powerful force for good, helping to combat misinformation especially for news outlets and social media providers who want to ensure the information their platforms share is completely accurate. If this project was to be funded further and rolled out, we could see the scale of misinformation dramatically reduced."

Dr Iain Brown, Head of Data Science at SAS Northern Europe, praised the achievement: "We were all blown away with the model Butterfly has developed to tackle the spread of misinformation - a significant issue society faces and something we all have a responsibility to tackle. We have all seen how it can spread and cause real harm in communities across the world."

Dr Brown added that the project represents the core values of the SAS Hackathon: "This project exemplifies what the SAS Hackathon stands for and we are excited to see how this project could evolve in the future to something that is used in the real world. It has so much potential to have a significant impact on the news and information we all consume and the trust we place in it."

The recognition at the SAS Hackathon highlights the project's significance. Butterfly Data received the Global Special Awards for Channel Ready and Trustworthy AI, the Global Technology Award for Models, and a Regional Award for the EMEA region.

Butterfly Data's model attributes a reliability score to news sources, allowing organisations to assess the credibility of the information quickly. This capability is particularly crucial for maintaining accuracy amidst the rapid dissemination of news stories.

The development harnessed "agile methodology" alongside software such as SAS Viya and open-source tools like Git and Python, reflecting a focus on collaborative innovation.

This year, the SAS Hackathon, which gathered 1,731 participants from over 70 countries, encourages teamwork and the exploration of new technologies in data science. Sponsored by Microsoft and Intel, the event supports participants in developing projects that can positively impact society.