“Is This Fake News?” Examining the Antecedents of Generative AI Chatbot Use for Fact-Checking of News Online
Abstract
Misinformation remains a significant challenge in many countries worldwide. With the rapid and widespread global adoption of Generative AI (GenAI), this study explores the extent to which individuals use GenAI chatbots to verify the accuracy of news they encountered online and the factors driving this behavior. Drawing on a cross-national survey conducted across 26 countries, the findings reveal that the greater perceived credibility of AI compared to human journalists and increased comfort with AI-produced news predicted GenAI chatbot usage for fact-checking, whereas increased comfort with new produced by journalists with some AI assistance did not.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Misinformation and Its Impacts
AI in Service Interactions
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Pages
- 1–18
- Publication date
- 25 February 2026
- Language
- EN