The practice of fact-checking involves using technological tools to monitor online disinformation, gather information, and verify content. How do fact-checkers in the Nordic region engage with these technologies, especially artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (GAI) systems? Using the theory of affordances as an analytical framework for understanding the factors that influence technology adoption, this exploratory study draws on insights from interviews with 17 professionals from four Nordic fact-checking organizations. Results show that while AI technologies offer valuable functionalities, fact-checkers remain critical and cautious, particularly toward AI, due to concerns about accuracy and reliability. Despite acknowledging the potential of AI to augment human expertise and streamline specific tasks, these concerns limit its wider use. Nordic fact-checkers show openness to integrating advanced AI technology but emphasize the need for a collaborative approach that combines the strengths of both humans and AI. As a result, AI and GAI-based solutions are framed as “enablers” rather than comprehensive or end-to-end solutions, recognizing their limitations in replacing or augmenting complex human cognitive skills.
Dierickx, L., Sirén-Heikel, S., & Lindén, C.-G. (2024). Outsourcing, Augmenting, or Complicating: The Dynamics of AI in Fact-Checking Practices in the Nordics. Emerging Media, 0(0).
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/27523543241288846
