An Interactive Hour with Prof. Ayanjit Sen

 Report by

Rai Saha

B.A Sem 1

The poster created by Rai Saha

Prof. Ayanjit Sen while the session

Felicitated by Prof. Moumita De Das, ASCO

The students of Amity School of Communication, Kolkata

Kolkata, October 27- The session served as the bedrock for a renewed sense of curiosity and intellectual engagement among attendees, as Amity University Kolkata, conducted a guest lecture session with Prof. Ayanjit Sen focusing on the complex and evolving field of information warfare and it's digital influence. Where Prof. Sen elaborated on how the modern landscape of warfare has extended far beyond physical combat zones to include digital, psychological, and informational dimensions. He began by introducing the fundamentals of information warfare, describing it as the strategic use of information to shape opinions, influence decisions, and manipulate behaviours during both conflict and peacetime. He explained that in the present era, wars are not only fought with weapons but also with words, visuals, and digital content that have the power to alter public perception and morale.

Prof. Sen addressing the students

Prof. Sen discussed in detail the challenges faced in predicting and responding to modern information conflicts. According to him, one of the greatest difficulties today lies in anticipating how adversaries will use information as a weapon and how quickly one can react to counteract those narratives. Modern warfare, he explained, uses non-kinetic methods—where physical battles are accompanied by campaigns of misinformation and disinformation designed to weaken an opponent’s resolve.

Moving forward, Prof. Sen explained that successful strategic communication is a key to combating information warfare effectively. He stressed the importance of identifying hostile actors and understanding the narratives they create. Only through a detailed assessment of these narratives can one craft precise and targeted counter-messages. He encouraged students to view communication as a strategic tool that requires accuracy, timing, and credibility. Effective communication, he said, is not about responding louder, but about responding smarter—by tailoring messages to the right audience with factual, trustworthy, and emotionally resonant content.

Prof. Sen addressing the students

He further explored the digital dimensions of information warfare by introducing several tools and tactics that shape online influence. Prof. Sen elaborated on how social media bots, deepfakes, AI-generated images, meme warfare, and algorithmic amplification are increasingly being used to manipulate public sentiment and spread misinformation at an unprecedented scale. He explained how these technologies enable disinformation to go viral within seconds, often making it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood. Through relevant examples, he demonstrated how memes and viral trends can be weaponized to push political agendas or damage reputations, showing the students the media’s powerful yet double-edged role in modern conflicts.

Sen also explained how “internet sleeper cells” operate, using AI, coordinated social media activity, international media narratives, and digital influencers through paid campaigns to seed and later activate misleading narratives across the globe.

Prof. Sen concluded the session by highlighting the importance of counter-tactics—methods used to trace and verify the origin of misleading information.  The lecture was interdisciplinary which provided the students with a holistic growth.