ProofSpot: Scaling the International Fact-Checking Network with Generative AI

Discover how ProofSpot uses AI to combat misinformation and disinformation while strengthening the international fact-checking network with faster and smarter verification tools.

How we helped our client build a powerful fact-checking network and fight disinformation and misinformation with the help of modern AI solutions. 

About Project

What comes to your mind when you think about the huge volumes of information filling our world every single day? How can you fight against misinformation? Are there any ways to avoid falsehood? 

For the ProofSpot team, the question was different: What is the best way to separate truth from lies? That’s exactly how the idea was born — a platform where everyone can contribute by the following:

• Posting news or claims.

• Adding evidence.

• Confirming, disputing, or labeling a claim as taken out of context.

Proofspot is not a place for a stream of news only. It is a web service where you see a “proof meter” showing how trustworthy each piece of content is, using AI algorithms and community feedback. In other words, it is a professional and reliable fact-checker. 

The community is at the heart of the platform. Any person, regardless of their background, education, or skills, can fact-check news and updates on ProofSpot. You can contribute by checking facts, commenting on articles, and verifying trending claims. 

Interesting Facts 

• The client, whose idea we were happy to bring to life, was from Tennessee, known for its scenic Great Smoky Mountains and Jack Daniel’s whiskey. 

• The customer reached out to us in 2024, right before the U.S. elections, a time when rumors and news were spreading like wildfire. People were looking for a newsroom where they could come together and fact check the most up-to-date information.

• ProofSpot is not a common news website with tons of ads and paid opinions. It's a platform where thousands of real users determine what’s credible.

Client Request

The main client’s request was clear: avoid writing code for the service blindly. Our customer wanted to have a professional team that would completely understand the idea, the context, and the goals before development. 

And that’s where Lumitech came in — not just as developers, but as a product partner. For our client, we became a dedicated all-in-one team, fully committed to his project. The reason is that over time, we’ve brought together a talented group of experts who work seamlessly using proven methods and tools to achieve exceptional results.

To be precise, one of the key parts of the project was to let users easily add any information source into the system, while others could attach supporting or opposing evidence to each claim.

Challenges 

Building fact-checkers from scratch usually doesn’t look like a simple process. Furthermore, our team faced a number of additional challenges. 

So, our first challenge was using AI to evaluate user-submitted evidence and assist users in creating quality content.

Adding a claim was simple — the user just needed to paste a link. But when it comes to evidence, the solution turned out to be trickier. The reason is that the users were required to reference a source and explain what part of it supports or challenges the claim. However, Lumitech is always ready to implement the newest tools and technologies to meet the client’s needs. We were on our way to create not another common fact-checker but a powerful solution that uses artificial intelligence. 

To cope with this task, we used the most powerful AI tools that helped us with the following: 

• Understand the context of the source.

• Highlight the key points.

• Suggest a summary for users to review or edit.

We went through many prompt versions to make the results accurate and consistent. In the end, users could easily reference sources, with AI assisting along the way. So, what was the result? That was a simple yet flexible process.

Challenge 2: Designing a Trustworthy Scoring System

Next, we had to create a way to rate the truthfulness of claims based on user evidence and input. Still, this was far from straightforward. We needed to process claims, analyze all linked evidence, and generate a clear, trustworthy score.

Our team developed a unique voting and scoring algorithm so users can see a “trust meter” next to each claim. Now, there is no need to read through tons of evidence — the platform shows how reliable the information is at a glance.

Challenge 3: Budget Constraints

Budget constraints guided how the Lumitech team approached the project. The client had a clear limit, so we made every decision with that in mind. Still, the team delivered all the planned features without cutting corners. To stay efficient, we chose the right tools and avoided anything that would drive up costs. We also kept things simple where possible and focused on what really mattered. Regular check-ins helped professional Lumitech managers stay aligned with both the budget and the client’s goals. In the end, we built a complete, feature-rich solution that met expectations, without going over budget.

Core Features Implemented

• Seamless content creation.

• Evidence vetting.

• Trust-meter.

• Social media elements - Comments, Profile, Saved list.

Summary

ProofSpot, an AI-powered checker of facts in any field, was one of the most challenging projects Lumitech worked on. However, our team of experts succeeded in meeting all the client’s requirements within a limited time and budget. 

Lumitech, one of the leaders in custom software development, is always here with innovative and powerful solutions tailored to your needs. Have a creative idea you want to bring to life? We're here to make it happen. Don’t hesitate to get in touch!