Truth Engine

A fact-checking platform dedicated to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Overview

Truth Engine is a web application that allows users to verify the factual accuracy of content. It uses AI to analyze claims, search for relevant information through a custom web scraper, and verify facts against authoritative sources. The application provides detailed verification results, including the specific claims identified, verification status, and source attribution.

Features

• Content Verification: Submit any text content (statements, social media posts, etc.) for fact-checking
• Claim Extraction: AI identifies specific factual claims within submitted content
• Custom Web Scraper: Searches for relevant information from multiple sources
• Source Authority Ranking: Prioritizes authoritative sources for verification
• Detailed Results: Comprehensive breakdown of verification process and findings
• Content Rewriting: Suggests corrections for inaccurate information

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14 or higher)
• npm (v6 or higher)
• Local Ollama instance for AI processing (or access to a remote Ollama instance)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/truth-engine.git
   cd truth-engine
   

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Configure environment variables: Create a .env file in the root directory with the following variables:

   PORT=3000
   NODE_ENV=development
   OLLAMA_URL=http://localhost:11434
   

4. Install and run Ollama locally (if not using a remote instance): Follow the instructions at Ollama's official website to install and run Ollama on your machine.

5. Pull a supported language model:

   ollama pull llama3
   

Running the Application

Start the application in development mode:

npm run dev

Or in production mode:

npm start

Visit http://localhost:3000 in your browser to use the application.

Usage

1. Enter or paste content you want to fact-check into the text area
2. Click "Verify Facts" to start the verification process
3. Review the results, including:
   • Claims identified in the content
   • Verification status for each claim (Confirms, Refutes, Uncertain, etc.)
   • Sources of verification
   • Suggested corrections

Project Structure

truth-engine/
├── public/             # Static frontend files
│   ├── index.html      # Main HTML file
│   ├── styles.css      # CSS styles
│   └── app.js          # Frontend JavaScript
├── server.js           # Main server file
├── package.json        # Project dependencies
├── .env                # Environment configuration
└── README.md           # Project documentation

Technologies Used

• Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
• Backend: Node.js, Express.js
• AI Processing: Ollama
• Web Scraping: Custom built scraper
• Authentication: Not implemented in the initial version

Future Enhancements

• Advanced web scraper with improved source ranking
• User accounts and history tracking
• Community-driven verification features
• Browser extension for inline fact-checking
• Mobile application with local LLM capabilities
• Misinformation trend analysis dashboard

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.