A Hybrid Transformer Model for Fake News Detection: Leveraging Bayesian Optimization and Bidirectional Recurrent Unit

Abstract: In this paper, we propose an optimized Transformer model that integrates Bayesian algorithms with a Bidirectional Gated Recurrent Unit (BiGRU), and apply it to fake news classification for the first time. First, we employ the TF-IDF method to extract features from news texts and transform them into numeric representations to facilitate subsequent machine learning tasks. Two sets of experiments are then conducted for fake news detection and classification: one using a Transformer model optimized only with BiGRU, and the other incorporating Bayesian algorithms into the BiGRU-based Transformer. Experimental results show that the BiGRU-optimized Transformer achieves 100% accuracy on the training set and 99.67% on the test set, while the addition of the Bayesian algorithm maintains 100% accuracy on the training set and slightly improves test-set accuracy to 99.73%. This indicates that the Bayesian algorithm boosts model accuracy by 0.06%, further enhancing the detection capability for fake news. Moreover, the proposed algorithm converges rapidly at around the 10th training epoch with accuracy nearing 100%, demonstrating both its effectiveness and its fast classification ability. Overall, the optimized Transformer model, enhanced by the Bayesian algorithm and BiGRU, exhibits excellent continuous learning and detection performance, offering a robust technical means to combat the spread of fake news in the current era of information overload.