Artificial intelligence in the public debate: risk amplifiers and mitigators in media discourse

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5209/esmp.104293
Keywords: Risk discourse, artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, digital media, dicourse analysis, communication studies, risk taxonomy, public debate, social actors, risk perception
Agencies: This article is part of the R&D project Digital-native media in Spain: Strategies, competencies, social involvement and (re)definition of practices in journalistic production and diffusion (PID2021-122534OB-C21), funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ERDF/EU”, This work was supported by the Fondecyt Regular Project N°1251262, titled 'Risk Construction in Artificial Intelligence Discourse in the Press: A Longitudinal and Comparative Study between Chile and Spain', funded by the Chilean National Agency for Research and Development (ANID)., The author Tania Forja-Pena holds a predoctoral contract from the Xunta de Galicia with the reference ED481A-2023-043, The author Beatriz Gutiérrez-Caneda holds a predoctoral contract from the Xunta de Galicia with the reference ED481A-2022/209.

Abstract

This study examines the discourse surrounding the risks of artificial intelligence (AI) in Spanish digital media during the first year after the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022. Adopting a qualitative approach rooted in discourse analysis and communication studies, it identifies types of risks and key voices shaping the public debate. The analysis is based on 2705 journalistic texts collected from six Spanish newspapers between December 2022 and November 2023. A total of 878 statements regarding specific risks were identified and used to create a taxonomy consisting of seven risk categories and six distinct groups of voices. The findings indicate that the most widely covered risks in the media are ‘risks to civilisation and humanity’ and ‘risks to individuals’. Meanwhile, the three most prominent groups of voices in the debate are journalists and media outlets, government officials and regulators, and representatives from the business sector. A year-long analysis of the evolution of risk discourse reveals changes in how AI-related risks are portrayed and shifts in the social actors participating in the public media debate. The study also highlights the perception that some representatives from tech companies may be promoting AI-related risks for self-serving purposes. These strategies appear aimed at emphasising long-term, existential risks in order to divert attention from the immediate, tangible risks already present, impeding further regulation that could curb the growth of AI. Furthermore, by portraying AI as an abstract, uncontrollable force, they dilute the sense of human responsibility for its development and regulation. At the same time, other voices are emerging in the public debate that downplay these risks and seek to discredit those warning of their potential consequences.  

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Author Biographies

Berta García-Orosa, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

Full Professor of Journalism at the University of Santiago de Compostela. Her interdisciplinary career began with degrees in Communication Sciences and Political and Administrative Sciences. Her main areas of research are journalism, political communication, and the digital public sphere.

Cristian Augusto González-Arias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso

He holds a PhD in Linguistics from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile, and a PhD in Sciences du Langage from Université Paris 13, France. He is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Literature and Language Sciences at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, where he teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including the Bachelor's degrees in Linguistics and Literature, the Master's in Applied Linguistics, and the PhD in Linguistics. His research focuses on enunciation in the public sphere from the perspective of Discourse Linguistics. He studies the ways in which meaning, subjectivity, and the circulation of speech are constructed across different discursive genres, with a particular emphasis on press discourse, academic discourse, and political discourse.

Tania Forja-Pena, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

Predoctoral researcher in the Communication and Contemporary Information program at the University of Santiago de Compostela and a recipient of a predoctoral fellowship from the Xunta de Galicia (ED481A-2023-043). She holds a degree in Journalism and a Master's Degree in Journalism and Communication: New Trends in the Production, Management, and Dissemination of Knowledge. She has professional experience in print media as a reporter and in managing new formats and social media. She is also a member of the research group Novos Medios (GI-1641). Her research focuses on risk communication, the integration of artificial intelligence in the media, and media literacy.

Beatriz Gutiérrez-Caneda, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

Predoctoral researcher in the Communication and Contemporary Information program at the University of Santiago de Compostela and a recipient of a predoctoral fellowship from the Xunta de Galicia (ED481A-2022/209). She holds a degree in Journalism from USC and completed the Master's Degree in Journalism and Communication: New Trends in the Production, Management, and Dissemination of Knowledge at the same university. She has received training in corporate communication and marketing at various universities and has previous professional experience in both media outlets and communication departments. She is currently a member of the research group Novos Medios (GI-1641). Her research focuses on the application of advanced technology in journalism, particularly the integration of artificial intelligence in newsrooms and the ethical challenges it entails.

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Published
2026-02-19
How to Cite
García-Orosa B., González-Arias C. A., Forja-Pena T. y Gutiérrez-Caneda B. . (2026). Artificial intelligence in the public debate: risk amplifiers and mitigators in media discourse. Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodístico, 32(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.5209/esmp.104293
Issue
Vol. 32 No. 1 (2026)
Section
Articles

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