Unmasking Ai S Role In The Age Of Disinformation Friend Or Foe Mdpi

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 5, 2025, 12:35 PM

unmasking ai s role in the age of disinformation friend or foe mdpi

García-Faroldi, L.; Teruel, L.; Blanco, S. Unmasking AI’s Role in the Age of Disinformation: Friend or Foe? Journal. Media 2025, 6, 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia6010019 García-Faroldi L, Teruel L, Blanco S.

Unmasking AI’s Role in the Age of Disinformation: Friend or Foe? Journalism and Media. 2025; 6(1):19. https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia6010019 García-Faroldi, Livia, Laura Teruel, and Sonia Blanco. 2025.

"Unmasking AI’s Role in the Age of Disinformation: Friend or Foe?" Journalism and Media 6, no. 1: 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia6010019 García-Faroldi, L., Teruel, L., & Blanco, S. (2025). Unmasking AI’s Role in the Age of Disinformation: Friend or Foe?

Journalism and Media, 6(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia6010019 JRC explains | 24 September 2025 | Joint Research Centre Just as AI can enable the production and dissemination of disinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference easily and quickly, it can also help to detect and analyse it. AI models have revolutionised content creation by making it remarkably easy to produce highly convincing content rapidly and at scale, or to analyse huge amounts of data. These capabilities can be exploited for good or for bad.

The potential for disinformation is vast, as AI-generated content can be used to mislead the public, erode trust in media, and distort the information we have access to. Such activity can have profound effects, including altering the outcomes of elections, influencing political processes, and shifting public support on issues like climate change, public health, armed conflicts or migration. AI can also be used to detect the spread of disinformation, as well as to further its dissemination. Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer. To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to upgrade your browser. 2025, https://doi.org/10.3390/ journalmedia6010019

Abstract: This study addresses public perception of the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and disinformation. The level of general awareness of AI is considered, and based on this, an analysis is carried out of whether it may favor the creation and distribution of false content or, conversely, the public... A survey has been conducted on a representative sample of the Andalusian population aged 15 and over (1550 people). The results show that over 90% of the population have heard of AI, although it is less well known among the eldest age group (78%). There is a consensus that AI helps to produce (86%) and distribute (84%) fake news. Descriptive analyses show no major differences by sex, age, social class, ideology, type of activity or size of municipality, although those less educated tend to mention these negative effects to a lesser extent.

However, 54% of the population consider that it may help in combating hoaxes, with women, the lower class and the left wing having positive views. Logistic regressions broadly confirm these results, showing that education, ideology and social class are the most relevant factors when explaining opinions about the role of AI in disinformation. Keywords: disinformation; artificial intelligence; Andalusia; digital divide; vulnerable adults; fake news The objective of this article is to analyze how the disinformation industry, understood as organized and systematic practices aimed at disseminating false information with the aim of manipulating public perception, has eroded trust in... Technological advances amplify the speed and sophistication with which disinformation spreads, making it difficult to identify and counteract false information, which could be identified with adequate digital literacy. With the use of algorithms and big data analysis, AI is used to personalize political messages, segment audiences and predict electoral trends, seeking not only to persuade voters, but also to create an immersive...

To do this, the article shows cases of deceiving the audience by presenting false information in a realistic way. Thanks to the formidable development of AI and the advent of synthetic humans, we are witnessing the profound transformation of the entertainment industry and, shortly, political marketing. In the rapidly evolving digital age, the proliferation of disinformation and misinformation poses significant challenges to societal trust and information integrity. Recognizing the urgency of addressing this issue, this systematic review endeavors to explore the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in combating the spread of false information. This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of how AI technologies have been utilized from 2014 to 2024 to detect, analyze, and mitigate the impact of misinformation across various platforms. This research utilized an exhaustive search across prominent databases such as ProQuest, IEEE Explore, Web of Science, and Scopus.

Articles published within the specified timeframe were meticulously screened, resulting in the identification of 8103 studies. Through elimination of duplicates and screening based on title, abstract, and full-text review, we meticulously distilled this vast pool to 76 studies that met the study’s eligibility criteria. Key findings from the review emphasize the advancements and challenges in AI applications for combating misinformation. These findings highlight AI’s capacity to enhance information verification through sophisticated algorithms and natural language processing. They further emphasize the integration of human oversight and continual algorithm refinement emerges as pivotal in augmenting AI’s effectiveness in discerning and countering misinformation. By fostering collaboration across sectors and leveraging the insights gleaned from this study, researchers can propel the development of ethical and effective AI solutions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access. Price excludes VAT (USA) Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout. The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author. Baptista JP, Gradim A (2022) A working definition of fake news. Encyclopedia 2(1):66 You are accessing a machine-readable page.

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Unmasking Ai S Role In The Age Of Disinformation Friend Or Foe Mdpi

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The Potential For Disinformation Is Vast, As AI-generated Content Can