Simpluz Technologias, an Angolan-based startup, has launched a product that uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology and machine learning algorithm to fact-check news, and counter fake stories.

The AI-based solutions named Nuxo, would allow users to quickly and accurately identify fake information, and help the internet in the war against fake and misleading news.

The startup, which is based in the Angolan city of Luanda, launched Magnifexto in 2017, as a news aggregator, following its quest for fighting fake news.

General Manager at Simpluz Technologias, Zedilson de Almeida, explained that with the incessant increase in fake information, the imminent threat it poses to the society, and how difficult and time-consuming it is to manually fact-check news, Simpluz Technologias decided to create an automated fact-checking program that leverages AI tech.

“Because of the work we do with Manifexto, in the fight against fake news, we receive several requests to identify and inform on the veracity of specific news articles. The fact-checking process is very time-consuming and demands people to research and investigate each of the requests. Because of this and knowing that many entities go through the same difficulties, we decided to use technology to facilitate the process, and empower the population in the process.”

Zedilson de Almeida, spoke on how the new product functions by identifying patterns in supposed news items. He noted that a link to a news article is the only thing Nuxo needs to conduct a search.

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After users send the link, Nuxo would then run processes to identify if the news is fake, or not.

“After analysing all of them, the algorithm identified a pattern, something that humans cannot do. With this, an analysis base is created, and from then on, each news article that is processed and analysed has its result incorporated into the algorithm, thus allowing the machine to learn. This means that the more news being analysed by Nuxo, the more efficient, accurate and necessary it becomes,” Zedilson de Almeida said.

Nuxo has been trained with a database of over 10,000 news articles, all of which pre-identified as true or false.

The team noted that the platform can analyse news in virtually any language, and can be used by anyone in the world. Nuxo, according to the startup, is available on Facebook, and for free using the zero-rated Facebook Zero initiative,