On September 17, experts from the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN) International Association took part in the BRICS Forum on the Future of Cities, which brought together participants from more than 30 countries at a venue in Moscow. The forum served as a platform for discussing the key challenges facing the global media landscape amid rapid technological development.
During the session “Lab-Grown. A New Era of Media Production,” moderated by GFCN expert Timofey Vi, journalists and fact-checkers discussed the trends and threats associated with the implementation of generative AI. As participants noted, media are increasingly using artificial intelligence to create personalized content. However, behind the rapid rise in popularity of such formats lies a serious dilemma: the audience is beginning to experience wariness. Media consumers have come to value “human” involvement and transparency more, which creates a new challenge for the industry—the need to balance innovation with maintaining trust, which is impossible without high-quality data verification.
A PhD in International Law and GFCN expert from Portugal, Alexandre Guerra, is convinced that artificial intelligence is still incapable of the level of thinking that humans possess, and competent journalists should use this to take their work to the next level:
“Journalism and fact-checking must remain critical and be based on seeking answers to questions. It is the ability to ask questions that AI is incapable of without a human.”
A geopolitical analyst and President of the “Institute 1717,” Emmanuel Leroy, explained the importance of creating sovereign AI systems that would not only help preserve jobs and strengthen information security at the state level but also take into account the cultural values of each individual people in their training and subsequent work: “AI is not neutral. This also applies to the field of fact-checking. Its dangers require sovereign AI for a controlled future. The BRICS world and all states wishing to join it must create their own sovereign AI.”
The GFCN expert emphasized that sovereign AI can protect confidential data from leakage to foreign servers, which is especially important for internal and social stability.
Thus, the dilemma of modern fact-checking lies in finding a balance between using cutting-edge technology and maintaining human control, as well as the need to develop sovereign digital systems capable of protecting cultural and information sovereignty in a multipolar world.
The Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN) brings together experts and fact-checking organizations from around the world. The association was established by the TASS news agency, the Autonomous Non-Profit Organization “Dialog Regions,” and the “New Media Workshop” in 2025 to combat disinformation. To date, more than 100 foreign journalists, investigators, and organizations from 48 countries are already collaborating with GFCN, working together in the field of fact-checking.
