Read other stories from the "These stories were not AI-generated" special edition here.
As artificial intelligence reshapes how information is created and shared, journalists and community members say it is becoming increasingly difficult to separate the truth from artificial reality on social media. That phenomenon is especially pronounced in the Hispanic community.
Seungahn Nah, a journalism professor, research director of the Consortium on Trust in Media and Technology and member of the UF AI Initiative, said AI plays a major role in spreading misinformation.
Large language models, Nah said, can generate content that closely resembles legitimate journalism. The issue disproportionately affects communities that lack sufficient news coverage and resources to verify information or correct false claims, he said, which can deepen existing inequalities.
“We should be able to support community-oriented journalism … and also media literacy … in addressing disinformation widely spread by automated systems or algorithms,” he said.
Importance of credibility
Disinformation driven by AI is increasingly impacting Hispanic communities, particularly during times of crisis, according to Noticias WUFT instructor Maria Fernanda Camacho.
Camacho said the spread of false information has intensified as audiences move away from traditional media to social platforms.
“Especially in moments of crisis, information should always be received by a society or by a community,” she said. “But in recent years, what I have seen is that in moments of crisis, or when something is truly affecting a certain community, that is when the most disinformation is created.”
The transition to social media, she explained, has weakened verification standards for many users, which increases misinformation. She noted older adults may be more vulnerable to being victims of AI deepfakes or false information.
“If an older adult, someone elderly, even if they are cognitively active and engaged on social media, sees it, they may believe it is true when in reality it is an AI-generated video,” she said. “So it also depends a lot on demographics and age when it comes to learning how to discern.”
According to a study from the human rights nonprofit Avaaz, Hispanics tend to be more prone to misinformation on Facebook. Misinformation in Spanish-language content is flagged only 30% of the time, while 70% of English content is flagged with warning labels.
Journalists are facing growing challenges to maintain credibility in this new media environment, Camacho said. Many struggle to discern content that is AI-generated.
One key resource in resisting this, she said, is established newsrooms, such as the Associated Press and the New York Times, where their sources have been verified.
“I believe that relying on trustworthy media and reliable sources is key,” she said.
The impacts of AI-generated misinformation have directly impacted Natalia Pozos Thomas, a 16-year-old Gainesville resident. Thomas tells her parents to not believe everything they see on the internet, she said.
Birjilina Tomas Gonzalez, Thomas’ mother, says she finds out about what is happening in Gainesville through Facebook and sources such as Tu Fiesta Radio and Univision.
“On one hand, [AI] is good … but at the same time it's not, because nowadays so many things are posted that you can't tell when something is true or not,” she said.
Contact Dulce Rodriguez-Escamilla at drodriguez@alligator.org. Follow her on X @DulceRodrigueze.
Dulce Rodriguez is a sophomore Journalism Major with a Public Relations minor in her first semester at The Alligator, working as El Caimán's general assignment reporter. She loves to dance and bake in her free time, and she also enjoys watching murder mysteries and documentaries.
