Institute of Politics

IOP Pritzker Fellow Justin Ángel Knighten on "Tabletop Exercise: What Happens When It All Goes Wrong?" THIS SEMINAR IS OPEN TO CURRENT UCHICAGO STUDENTS ONLY Thursday, April 10 12:30-1:45pm How does malign influence lead to misinformation and chaos in disasters? Past responses to catastrophic events, such as the 2023 train derailment in Ohio and the Maui wildfire, triggered overwhelming levels of misinformation from foreign adversaries like Russia and China. Hurricanes Helene and Milton responses had some of the most extreme examples of false and misleading information by these bad actors that manifested into real-world consequences. I will lead a tabletop exercise with communications, national security and intelligence experts to give students the same real-world experience for how to think about the plan for misinformation. Do you have what it takes to go up against technology like AI used by bad actors? Are you ready to fight back against foreign adversaries looking to hurt Americans with online chaos? Are you savvy enough to navigate a political machine pushing lies for selfish gain regardless of the damage caused? Let’s find out! Pritzker Fellows seminars are off the record and open to current UChicago students only. Seating in the IOP Living Room is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have any questions about accessibility, please contact Sarah Palmisciano (spalmisciano@uchicago.edu).