How AI is reviving racist stereotypes and disinformation – and why fact-checking isn’t enough

In any case, 2025 is the year in which artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly changed the way we work, interact with each other and interact with the world at large. It has also made undeniable the ongoing reality of racism and the limits of fact-checking in the age of disinformation.

Thanks to algorithmic systems, narratives that speak to deep-seated fears and anxieties are spreading further and faster than ever before. They circle the globe before fact-checkers can even flag a problematic post.

The second half of the year saw another technological breakthrough with OpenAI’s Sora, a lifelike video generation software. Apparently nothing was immune, not even politics.

Sora struck the political landscape with particular force during the longest government shutdown in United States history. The 43-day shutdown generated significant pressure and public controversy, particularly regarding uncertainty and delays that could impact the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program…