{"id":14645,"date":"2024-03-22T08:50:38","date_gmt":"2024-03-22T08:50:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1404962"},"modified":"2024-03-22T08:50:38","modified_gmt":"2024-03-22T08:50:38","slug":"hidden-racial-slurs-are-flooding-across-russian-media-ai-study-reveals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=14645","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Hidden\u2019 racial slurs are flooding across Russian media, AI study reveals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A glut of racial slurs hidden in slang has emerged in Russian digital media.<\/p>\n

The insults were discovered by Osavul<\/a>, a Ukrainian startup that uses AI to analyse information threats<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Osavul tapped language models to conduct a cross-platform survey of racial discourse in Russia. The system scanned over 5,000 messages across news sites and social media platforms, from US giants Facebook and X to Russian kingpins Telegram <\/span>and VK.<\/p>\n

The system highlighted the rise of various epithets for neighbouring countries, immigrants, and national minorities. Even Kremlin officials were spotted using the slurs.<\/p>\n

Osavul said the vocabulary deliberately conceals the racial and ethnic undertones from foreign eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cRussian slang helps to hide negative attitudes towards national minorities and immigrants inside Russia and gets hatred towards them in society,\u201d Andrew Bevz, the startup\u2019s chief marketing officer, told TNW.<\/span><\/p>\n

The most widespread barb was \u201cforeign specialist\u201d (\u0438\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0438\u0306 \u0441\u043f\u0435\u0446\u0438\u0430\u043b\u0438\u0441\u0442). Used ironically, the term ridicules the qualifications and education levels of migrants. <\/span><\/p>\n

Osavul also unearthed curious correlations between the slurs and current events.<\/p>\n

Hidden in plain sight on Russian media<\/h2>\n

Neighbouring states were frequent targets of the insults. According to Osavul\u2019s research, Russian neo-imperial discourse often depicts these nations as rebellious provinces and traitors.<\/p>\n

A common example is using the phrase \u201con Ukraine\u201d instead of \u201cin Ukraine,\u201d which implies the country is not truly independent. <\/span><\/p>\n

Poland was also repeatedly denigrated. The AI system regularly detected the pejorative<\/span> \u201c<\/span>psheks,<\/em>\u201d a Russian slur that imitates a common sound in spoken Polish.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The word\u2019s prevalence aligned with political developments. Usage peaked after former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev posted the word on Telegram<\/a> last August. It then spread across the internet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sightings of the term<\/span> declined when Poland blockaded Ukrainian grain imports in September. Negativity towards Poles in Russian online spaces subsequently decreased.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Graph
<\/i><\/a>Graph tracking usage of \u201cPshecks\u201d from July 2023 to January 2024. Credit: Osavul<\/figcaption>