“Fake or Fact?” : En kvalitativ studie av hur unga vuxna navigerar tillit till nyheter i en tid då AI-genererat innehåll blir allt vanligare

Aim: The aim of the thesis has been to contribute to an understanding of young adults’ trust in news in a time when AI-generated content is becoming increasingly common. The study seeks to examine trust in different news sources, as well as how news content is navigated and evaluated in a complex media landscape.Method/Material: The study was based on a qualitative method in which four focus groups were conducted with a total of sixteen participants. The discussions focused on how young adults assessed and placed trust in news, and how this trust was influenced by the increasing presence of AI-generated content in their everyday news flows.Main results: The study showed that young adults commonly accessed news through social media platforms, where news consumption often occurred incidentally while scrolling. Trust in news on social media decreased when content was perceived as AI-generated, but the results also indicate that news did not have to be AI-generated for trust to decline. Rather, the mere existence of AI in news production contributed to a more general skepticism toward news on social media. At the same time, trust in editorial news media remained strong, while lesser-known sources received lower trust. The study also emphasized the need for strengthened assessment strategies, critical thinking, and education about AI among young adults.