Artificial intelligence in political communication and citizens’ perceptions of disinformation and democratic legitimacy in Ecuador

Technological developments with the use of artificial intelligence in political communication, especially during the presidential election. AI in addition could take part in the presidential and vice-presidential elections of Indonesia in 2024. The objective of this research is to dissect artificial intelligence as a potential strategy that may be implemented during the upcoming elections within digital era. The role of artificial intelligence will be studied to assess the influence that is still being widely spread by artificial intelligence. The systematic literature review (SLR) was used as the methodology. The results of this study are of importance for supporting the assumption that it is possible to influence public opinion with AI analysis, increase voter participation and utilize AI for political campaign strategies. Steps involved in systematic literature review process include stating research objectives, developing, and validating review methods, searching literature, selecting articles for inclusion, assessing article quality, forming data findings, data analysis and reporting results. As such measures demonstrate, use of artificial intelligence (AI) in political communication can shape public discourse, serve as a campaign strategy, and offer more tailored interactions between politicians and electorate. Trust and democratic integrity call on promoting transparency, ethics, and data security above everything else. Therefore, for achieving full potential of AI in context of political communication field, political practitioners, researchers as well as policy makers can receive considerable suggestions out of this research study.

The 2025 Democracy Action (Action Demokrasi 2025) is one of the biggest political phenomena in Indonesia, giving rise to demands for the dissolution of the House of Representatives (DPR) and reflecting a crisis of public trust in legislative institutions.Amidst the rapid flow of digital information, online media plays a crucial role in framing this issue and shaping public perceptions of political legitimacy and democracy. This study aims to analyze how online media construct news narratives about the 2025 Democracy Action and how the representation of political communication reflected in these narratives influences public perceptions of political legitimacy in Indonesia. This study uses a descriptive qualitative method with a critical discourse analysis approach (Critical Discourse Analysis) model by Teun A. van Dijk. Data were obtained from news articles from national online media such as Kompas.com, Detik.com, Tempo.co, and CNN Indonesia during the period January- August 2025. The results indicate differences in reporting methods between media. The narratives conveyed by Tempo.co and CNN Indonesia emphasize public participation and the crisis of legitimacy, while Kompas.com and Detik.com direct more attention to issues of national security and stability. These differences in emphasis reflect ideological orientations that influence how news is structured and impact public understanding of democracy and levels of public trust in political institutions. In this context, online media functions not merely as a channel for conveying information but also as an agent shaping political reality and public perceptions of the legitimacy of democracy in Indonesia. Keywords: Democracy Action 2025, framing, political communication, democratic legitimacy, online media.

The article examines aspects related to the opportunities and threats of using artificial intelligence (AI) in politi-cal communications. The conclusion is drawn about the dual nature of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in political communications. Attention is drawn to the key current threats to the use of AI in political communica-tions – the spread of deepfakes and the use of AI algorithms in disinformation, manipulation of public con-sciousness or gaining advantages in the selective delivery of information to recipients. A comprehensive ar-gument is given for the depth of the problems associated with the potential use of AI in electoral communica-tions and the difficulties that arise in overcoming them. Practical measures are proposed to level out the nega-tive aspects of the potential use of artificial intelligence in political and, above all, electoral communications in the Russian Federation.

Purpose This study aims to critically examine the socio-technical, economic and governance challenges emerging at the intersection of Generative artificial intelligence (AI) and Urban AI. By foregrounding the metaphor of “the moon and the ghetto” (Nelson, 1977, 2011), the issue invites contributions that interrogate the gap between technological capability and institutional justice. The purpose is to foster a multidisciplinary dialogue–spanning applied economics, public policy, AI ethics and urban governance – that can inform trustworthy, inclusive and democratically grounded AI practices. Contributors are encouraged to explore not just what GenAI can do, but for whom, how and with what consequences. Design/methodology/approach This study draws upon interdisciplinary literature from public policy, innovation studies, digital governance and urban sociology to frame the emerging governance challenges of Generative AI and Urban AI. It builds a conceptual foundation by synthesizing insights from comparative city case studies, innovation systems theory and normative policy frameworks. The approach is interpretive and exploratory, aiming to situate AI technologies within broader institutional, geopolitical and socio-economic contexts. The study invites contributions that adopt empirical, theoretical or practice-based methodologies addressing the governance of GenAI in cities and regions. Findings This study identifies a critical gap between the rapid technological advancements in Generative AI and the institutional readiness of public governance systems – particularly in urban contexts. It finds that current policy frameworks often prioritize efficiency and innovationism over democratic legitimacy, civic trust and inclusive design. Drawing on comparative global city experiences, it highlights the risk of reinforcing power asymmetries without robust accountability mechanisms. The analysis suggests that trustworthy AI is not a purely technical attribute but a political and institutional achievement, requiring participatory governance architectures and innovation systems grounded in public value and civic engagement. Research limitations/implications As an editorial introduction, this study does not present original empirical data but synthesizes key theoretical frameworks, case studies and policy debates to guide future research. Its analytical scope is conceptual and comparative, offering a foundation for submissions that further investigate Generative and Urban AI through empirical, normative and practice-based lenses. The limitations lie in its broad coverage and reliance on secondary sources. Nonetheless, it provides an agenda-setting contribution by highlighting the urgent need for interdisciplinary research into how AI reshapes public governance, institutional legitimacy and urban democratic futures. Practical implications This editorial offers a structured framework for policymakers, urban planners, technologists and public administrators to critically assess the governance of Generative and Urban AI systems. By highlighting international case studies and conceptual tools – such as public algorithmic infrastructures, civic trust frameworks and anticipatory governance – the article underscores the importance of institutional design, regulatory foresight and civic engagement. It invites practitioners to shift from techno-solutionist approaches toward inclusive, democratic and place-based AI governance. The reflections aim to support the development of trustworthy AI policies that are grounded in legitimacy, accountability and societal needs, particularly in urban and regional contexts. Social implications The editorial underscores that Generative and Urban AI systems are not socially neutral but carry significant implications for equity, representation and democratic legitimacy. These technologies risk reinforcing existing social hierarchies and systemic biases if not governed inclusively. This study calls for reimagining trust not as a technical feature but as a relational, contested dynamic between institutions and citizens. It encourages submissions that examine how AI reshapes the urban social contract, affects marginalized communities and challenges existing civic infrastructures. The goal is to promote AI governance frameworks that are pluralistic, just and reflective of diverse societal values and lived experiences. Originality/value This editorial offers a timely and conceptually grounded intervention into the emerging field of Urban AI and Generative AI governance. By framing the challenges through Richard R. Nelson’s metaphor of The Moon and the Ghetto, this study foregrounds the gap between technical capabilities and enduring societal injustices. The contribution lies in its interdisciplinary synthesis – bridging innovation systems, AI ethics, public policy and urban governance. It introduces a critical framework for assessing “trustworthy AI” not as a technical goal but as a democratic achievement and encourages research that is policy-relevant, equity-oriented and attuned to the institutional realities of AI in cities.

With the growing demand for seamless connectivity and intelligent communication, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and sixth-generation (6G) communication networks has emerged as a transformative paradigm. By embedding AI capabilities across various network layers, this integration enables optimized resource allocation, improved efficiency, and enhanced system robust performance. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of AI and communication for 6G networks, with a focus on their foundational principles, inherent challenges, and future research opportunities. We first review the integration of AI and communications in the context of 6G, exploring the driving factors behind incorporating AI into wireless communications, as well as the vision for the convergence of AI and 6G. The discourse then transitions to a detailed exposition of the envisioned integration of AI within 6G networks, divided into three progressive stages. The first stage, AI for network, focuses on employing AI to augment network performance, optimize efficiency, and enhance user service experiences. The second stage, network for AI, highlights the role of the network in facilitating and buttressing AI operations and presents key enabling technologies. We compare wireless network large models with conventional large language models (LLMs), and identify key design principles and components for building wireless network architectures. In the final stage, AI as a service, it is anticipated that future 6G networks will innately provide AI functions as services, supporting application scenarios like immersive communication and intelligent industrial robots. Specifically, we define the quality of AI service, which refers to a framework for measuring AI services within the network. We further summarize the standardization process of AI for wireless networks, highlighting key milestones and ongoing efforts. In addition, we analyze the critical challenges faced by the integration of AI and communications in 6G. Finally, we outline promising future research opportunities that are expected to drive the development and refinement of AI and 6G communications.

The paper summarizes and comments on the basic topics related to using artificial intelligence in political communication and journalism. Initially it presents the areas of risk and conflict, as they were identified by journalists in newsrooms and the professional public and authors looking into the ethics of journalism and, in particular, communications. It then goes on to give an overview of the first normative and regulatory initiatives, that being at both the international level and within the news organizations of states. It provides a case study of those Czech media houses (both public and private) that have already reflected the risks of AI in their ethical codes, the issues and problems that were focussed on and how detailed this reflection was (as of September 2024). The second part looks at (potentially) positive areas where AI can improve the quality of journalistic practice and outputs or even the quality of the public sphere overall. It concludes by opening the question of using artificial intelligence to analyse objectivity and balance in political coverage and journalism, as required by the Czech Republic’s legislation concerning radio and television broadcasting.

While captains of industries and academics concur in celebrating artificial intelligence in the context of it helping improve productivity, there has been little to no use of artificial intelligence in climate change and animal health communication in Zimbabwe. Against this milieu, this study is poised at examining how artificial intelligence can be best used to communicate animal illnesses that are a result of climate change. For this qualitative study, empirical data were gathered through in-depth interviews with climate change specialists and animal scientists in Zimbabwe. The importance of this study lies in that it brings to the fore the applicability of artificial intelligence within the realms of communication, climate change, and animal science in a Zimbabwean set up against the background that prior studies have not explored the applicability of artificial intelligence in communicating animal diseases that are a result of climate change.

In order to achieve a fair, efficient, rapid and predictable exercise of state power, it is necessary to prepare for the emergence of a “government for the people, using artificial intelligence, for the people,” which has jumped from a “government for the people, by the people, for the people” by accepting advanced science and technology and reflecting the changed social image, so it is necessary to review the active use of artificial intelligence within the framework of the rule of law administration, check administrative law, and improve legislation. Analysis of the use of artificial intelligence in administrative law does not stop at deriving the current law's interpretation or legislative tasks for the use of artificial intelligence under the Administrative Procedure Act or limited to administrative disposition, but also checks the public law interpretation and response to the use of artificial intelligence in all “administrations” subject to administrative law. Criticism or problem consciousness of current artificial intelligence mainly deals with information opacity, process inexplicability, non-decipherability, information contamination, and intentional distortion of information in the deep learning stage and the use of generative artificial intelligence. The general legislative attitude of the EU and others has attempted to establish a legislative safety net to prevent the emergence of market economy monsters using artificial intelligence, but it should be taken into account that policy judgment and normative consideration are needed to prepare for the emergence of information monsters at the same level as public and private areas, and discussions on risks are focused on deep learning-based artificial intelligence. The EU-type behavioral regulation model regulates general behavior in the use of artificial intelligence regardless of the public and private areas, but private economic entities have no democratic legitimacy in the organizational composition and pursue the maximum of private interests by nature. It is overlooked that the administrative entity, which is the public authority, has democratic legitimacy in the composition, and that the possibility of stakeholder participation in administrative processes and specific administrative procedures is guaranteed, as well as checks by the principle of separation of powers. If the act regulation law in the use of artificial intelligence by private economic entities is brought into the public domain, it leads to overregulation in the public domain, but underregulation for private economic entities occurs. Data is the resource of the future and the oil of the future in the age of artificial intelligence. The data must be managed publicly and the public's free and stable use must be guaranteed if the public property of the data is recognized and pseudonymized information is released from the personal personal rights and ownership of the data. A department in charge of creating, collecting, and managing big data at the national level will be essential. Hangeul data, with the originality of Hangeul, needs to approach the protection of Hangeul resources and the development of Hangul-specific artificial intelligence in order to protect national interests. It is necessary to actively utilize artificial intelligence to increase the objectivity and rationality of evaluation in evaluating business feasibility or predicting future demand in various private capital attraction projects and public development projects, and it is necessary to improve the legal system that detects the misappropriation and overcharges of public funds, imposes punitive fines, and the use of artificial intelligence in the process of selecting subjects and verifying them through post-mortem review in the public benefit area.

This review examines the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) as a novel technology for strategic communication. This study includes a survey of pertinent literature that highlights innovative communication linked to AI applications in public relations, marketing and branding, political communication, and customer relations with the goal of enlightening both research and practice. Emerald Insight and Google Scholar, two essential online databases, were used to retrieve and analyse information from peer-reviewed journal articles and chapters (n = 17) published between 2017 and 2022. Based on the main inquiries raised by the research, significant themes were discovered and critically explored. Political communication with AI, AI-focused public relations and marketing approach, and conversational AI assistants were the major themes in the research on strategic communication and AI integration. These studies were primarily the outcome of quantitative and mixed-method techniques used in a western environment. This review satisfies the need for research on AI and strategic communication that makes inferences applicable to the context in Ghana. The study's conclusion outlines a research agenda for the future, emphasising the need for research on particular topics like integration of AI voice assistants in relationship marketing domains, adoption of wearable technology and its relevance to customers' health consciousness as well as privacy concerns of emerging innovation. Future studies should also focus on developing more evidence-based AI suggestions for strategic communication practitioners, as well as a thorough methodological and theoretical discussion of how to further close the gap between research and practice in the African setting.

Political communication is one of the important ways to influence political trust. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence generated content (AIGC) technology, its application is increasingly extensive in the field of political communication, which has had a profound impact on the traditional political communication mode. This study discusses the difference between AIGC (generative ARTIFICIAL intelligence) and traditional political communication in information credibility and its impact on public political trust, and in order to further enhance the political communication of AIGC, a new pattern of AI precision governance should be constructed with grid theory. Through online extensive sampling of the national 503 people, overall, the application of AIGC technology significantly changed the way of political information and trust degree, compared with the traditional form of public political trust fell, at the same time the traditional (authoritative) media, social media main body using AIGC political communication will also affect the people's political trust. In this regard, accurate precision governance should be realized, so that the application of AIGC in political communication has the following trends: it can improve the public's awareness of the credibility and authenticity of political information to a certain extent, and then further enhance the public's political trust. This study from the perspective of political communication reveals the application of AIGC for the influence of public political trust path, reveals the information credibility and authenticity perception in the important role of cultivating political trust, further highlights the change and innovation of traditional communication form, reasonable guide the development of good AIGC political communication new areas, promote the importance of building a new pattern of AI accurate governance, provides an important reference for the future development in the field of political communication.

Regulating Artificial Intelligence Systems: Risks, Challenges, Competencies, and Strategies

In the contemporary intelligence information society, artificial intelligence (AI) is being utilized in various sectors due to the advancement of science and technology. Amidst this trend, the legal technology (LegalTech) industry, which integrates technology with legal advisory and litigation services, has been experiencing a leap in growth. Furthermore, the application of artificial intelligence in the judicial duties of judges is garnering significant interest and expectation for speeding up legal proceedings and enhancing the efficiency of judicial administration. Artificial intelligence used in the judiciary can be broadly classified into two types. First, there is AI that entirely replaces human judgment, exemplified by the initiative in Estonia in 2019 to implement AI for conducting small claims trials. Second, there is AI designed to assist human judges, such as algorithms that help draft verdicts based on similar case precedents or provide appropriate sentencing recommendations for defendants in criminal trials. In this regard, some state courts in the United States have incorporated the COMPAS algorithm into sentencing procedures within criminal justice processes. This surge in AI development seems to have an international impact on judicial procedures, influencing the judicial policies of the courts in South Korea significantly. Specifically, National Court Administration has announced plans to alleviate the workload of judges and address the issue of trial delays through the introduction of what is referred to as the ‘Next-Generation Electronic Litigation System.’ However, while AI technology may assist in accelerating trial processes, there are considerable concerns regarding the protection of litigants' right to a fair trial and democratic legitimacy. Above all, the potential for data and algorithm errors in judicial-use AI could compromise the fairness of trials or lead to miscalculation due to biased legal decisions. This study examines the constitutional issues concerning the advent of AI judges in the era of artificial intelligence are explored, particularly the infringement of the litigants' right to a fair trial, the problems of restoring the original state following miscalculation, and the responsibilities of judges. Furthermore, the study examines legislative trends abroad concerning the use of AI in judicial tasks, and seeks legislative improvement strategies for the principles and premises that must be adhered to by AI utilized in the judiciary during the era of artificial intelligence.

This paper offers an in-depth examination of how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the landscape of legal decision-making. Once primarily anchored in normative principles, interpretative reasoning, and judicial discretion, the legal system is now increasingly influenced by AI technologies that promise to enhance efficiency, consistency, and access to justice. Predictive models capable of estimating judicial outcomes, along with natural language processing (NLP) tools applied in legal document analysis, represent significant innovations. Yet, these advances also generate profound challenges related to algorithmic bias, opacity, and the fragmentation of accountability. The study addresses three guiding questions: In what ways is AI being integrated into legal systems? What benefits does it offer? And what legal and ethical dilemmas does it create? While AI applications can foster objectivity and reduce systemic delays—particularly in criminal adjudication (Nuredin & Inan, 2025), contract review, and risk assessment—they also risk perpetuating entrenched discrimination, concealing reasoning within “black box” models, and obscuring lines of legal responsibility. Employing a socio-legal and normative framework, this paper evaluates AI’s impact on foundational legal values and institutions. Comparative insights from the European Union, the United States, and Japan are combined with empirical findings from computer science to present a holistic perspective. Policy recommendations include mandatory transparency standards, auditability mechanisms, human-in-the-loop requirements, and inclusive data governance practices. Ultimately, the paper underscores that AI should not replace human judgment but support it through equitable, transparent, and accountable design. Without robust governance structures, the transformative power of AI risks undermining fairness, due process, and democratic legitimacy in law. The future of legal decision-making depends on embedding AI within frameworks that strengthen, rather than weaken, the rule of law.

Purpose The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in property management transactions is transforming the real estate sector via improved automation, predictive analytics, intelligent property management and enhanced decision-making. This study investigates how AI enhances property management transactions as well as the significant barriers to its implementation. Design/methodology/approach This research employs a systematic literature review (SLR) and NVivo-based qualitative analysis to discern significant trends, innovations and obstacles in the adoption of AI. The study analyzes existing literature and industry reports to identify patterns, challenges and emerging solutions in AI-driven property management. Findings The results indicate that AI markedly enhances efficiency (automation and predictive analytics), tenant engagement (behavior analysis and intelligent communication), property value (AI-driven assessments) and sustainability (energy optimization and waste minimization). Nevertheless, obstacles to widespread adoption persist, including data privacy issues, legal and ethical challenges, budgetary limitations and opposition from stakeholders. Smaller real estate enterprises have heightened hurdles stemming from the digital divide, security vulnerabilities and algorithmic prejudice. Research limitations/implications The study is mostly based on secondary data from literature and industry sources, which may limit the findings' applicability to real-world scenarios. Future research could use empirical data, such as case studies or surveys, to confirm AI’s practical influence in a variety of property markets. Practical implications The findings offer valuable insights for real estate professionals, investors and AI developers on how to effectively integrate AI into property management. Key areas for practical implication include predictive maintenance relating to IoT usage; property valuation automation; AI-powered tenant screening; Site selection and market forecasting; Chabot and NLP for leasing; and blockchain integration and fraud detection. To achieve effective integration, industry stakeholders must emphasize ethical AI governance, stringent data security and cooperation between AI and humans. Additionally, AI’s synergy with cloud computing, blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoTs) may enhance transparency, security and efficiency in real estate transactions. Social implications The adoption of AI in property management has broader societal consequences, including the possibility of job displacement and the necessity for reskilling initiatives to assist real estate workers. An equitable strategy that encourages innovation, reduces risks and increases worker flexibility is required to realize AI’s full potential in property management. This study emphasizes the importance of collaboration among researchers, real estate companies, legislators and AI technologies developers. Originality/value This study contributes to the expanding body of knowledge on AI in real estate by providing a structured qualitative synthesis of AI uses, barriers and future potential. Unlike prior studies that have focused only on AI benefits, this study offers a balanced evaluation of both the promise and constraints of AI-driven property management transactions.

Artificial intelligence has been widely utilized in people’s lives, especially in communication. The article provides a review of the recent research status of the application of artificial intelligence in communication, the usefulness of big data, machine learning, and cloud computation in this field. Several examples of how artificial intelligence is used to communicate are illustrated to discuss better and form a framework of modern artificial intelligence applications. The aspects of concern in ethics of using artificial intelligence are also mentioned, as ethics are the principles judging whether the technologies are suitable for humans to use or not. In order to predict the future development of communication, an introduction of previous progress in the field of communication is provided and sorted into categories of wireless communication, ethical concerns, and network monitor and control. This study confirms that the future development of artificial intelligence is mainly in two aspects: SDN (Software-defined network) and NFV (Network function visualization). AI will thus be used in enhancing communication efficiency.