Latin America Lags in AI and Disinformation Research, Study Reveals

Latin America Lags Behind in AI and Disinformation Research, Study Reveals

Just hours before Argentina’s legislative elections in October 2025, social media platforms were flooded with a manipulated video showing former president Mauricio Macri urging voters to support an opposition alliance against President Javier Milei. While fact-checkers quickly identified the video as artificially generated, the damage was already done.

This incident wasn’t isolated. According to Argentine fact-checking organization Chequeado, AI-altered videos became “the protagonists of the 2025 elections,” generating 31 complaints to the National Electoral Prosecutor’s Office on election day alone.

Despite facing serious disinformation challenges that directly impact electoral processes, social conflicts, and personal finances, Latin America is falling significantly behind in academic research examining the connection between artificial intelligence and disinformation.

A comprehensive study titled “Global Mapping of Research on AI and Disinformation,” conducted by Ecuador’s Technical University of Loja (UTPL), reveals that while worldwide research on this topic has exploded over the past two years, Latin American contributions remain scarce, isolated, and lack regional comparative analysis.

“Latin America is a region heavily affected by disinformation, especially due to its connection to political instability and social crises,” explained Claudia Rodríguez Hidalgo, professor and researcher at UTPL’s Department of Communication Sciences and co-author of the study. “It’s a research topic that is only just emerging in Latin America, and the studies that have become most visible are those conducted in collaboration with universities in Spain.”

The comprehensive mapping analyzed 347 academic articles published between 2020 and 2025 that examine the intersection of AI and disinformation. These articles were indexed in Scopus, a database of high-level academic journals. The researchers found that studies on the topic surged dramatically beginning in 2023, coinciding with the widespread public adoption of generative AI platforms like ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Gemini. The year 2024 alone accounts for more than half of all publications on the topic since 2020.

Unsurprisingly, the United States leads in research production with 59 studies, followed by Spain with 52. The most robust academic collaboration networks have developed among Northern Hemisphere countries, particularly between the U.S. and Western European nations.

In Latin America, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico show the strongest research presence on disinformation and AI. While studies do exist at universities in Colombia and Ecuador, these appear isolated without collaborative ties to institutions in other countries.

“In the Latin American context, you often see three authors on an article, but all three belong to the same university,” Rodríguez Hidalgo noted. “These are isolated articles, not part of a research group actively developing the topic.”

She pointed out that many Latin American studies primarily focus on experiences within their own countries, such as how disinformation affected specific electoral processes or how AI influenced social uprisings. What’s lacking are comparative analyses between different countries or regions, unlike research conducted elsewhere.

To strengthen Latin American research on this critical topic, Rodríguez Hidalgo emphasized the need for researchers and universities to build regional networks that address the issue collaboratively and from multiple perspectives. She suggested establishing systemic alliances with Spanish and Portuguese institutions, leveraging their shared languages, while not overlooking partnerships with leading North American and European universities.

“The leading countries in research are also developing the models, platforms, and technologies being studied,” she said. “They have already established stable international collaboration networks that boost productivity and visibility.”

When creating such research partnerships, Rodríguez Hidalgo stressed the importance of ensuring Latin American perspectives are included to give visibility to regional realities and integrate Global South voices into the discussion. “Many times we end up collaborating on research that reflects European or North American realities, but doesn’t always capture South American experiences,” she explained.

The research vacuum has real-world implications for journalists, who stand on the frontlines in the battle against AI-generated disinformation. While journalists play a crucial role in defending the information ecosystem, their efforts alone are insufficient given the rapid evolution and complexity of AI-powered disinformation.

“Researchers can inform journalists about new technological advances, tools, and social effects,” Rodríguez Hidalgo said. “Media and academia need to work much more closely together so this research reaches the public, helping citizens understand that fact-checking involves not just verifying data, but also journalistic expertise, technological mastery, and investigative skills.”

The study also identified significant research gaps regarding the ethics of AI technology and media literacy as tools to combat disinformation – elements that, along with journalism, are considered potential solutions to mitigate the problem.

“We’re still focused on describing the phenomenon, but something changes every day, creating new forms of disinformation,” she said. “These powerful tools have been put into everyone’s hands, but nobody is teaching us how to use them ethically.”

The full study will be published in Springer journal in early 2026, with an update already underway to map research from 2025. Preliminary data suggests another significant increase in worldwide academic studies on the topic compared to previous years.