Operation Retuit, the method with AI used by journalists in Venezuela to report.

Source LA NACION (Argentina)

-The characters La Chama and El Pana were created with Artificial Intelligence, with the aim of having greater security measures in the face of the repression of the media by the government.

On August 13, the initiative Operation Retuit was launched, a method that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide information on what is happening in Venezuela after the presidential elections of July 28. The data, which are verified and elaborated by journalists, will be released through avatars, which refers to the graphic representation of a person created digitally.

“Starting today, our avatars of #IA, La Chama and El Pana, will bring you verified information about what is happening in Venezuela after #28J. Although they are not real, the data is real,” reads the publication on the X (formerly Twitter) account of the Connectas organization, which is “a journalistic platform for the Americas that brings together research, analysis and information.”

What is Operation Retuit and where to watch it?

The episodes of the initiative will be published through the various Connectas accounts on digital platforms such as X, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. According to the presentation of the project, the avatars were generated by artificial intelligence, so they are not real people, but their content is real, and will be verified, will be of quality and created by journalists.

Regarding why it was decided to use avatars to disclose information, they point out that since the election day of last July 28, “persecution and repression increased against anyone the government considers that does not think like the ruling party or is seen as contradictory”. In response and for security measures, the AI was chosen to disseminate through social networks.

The report also points out that after 2022 will see the highest number of closed stations in the last two decades, during the past year at least 12 closed stations were reported, which were broadcasting in open signal in seven states of the country and the Capital District. The organization also states that between 2022 and 223, the state ordered the blocking of more than 80 websites, corresponding mostly to critical media on politics and human rights related pages.

“In that sense, any person who wishes to be informed about issues of public interest has to overcome several barriers to do so,” explains Espacio Público. It is in response to the current situation regarding freedom of expression that initiatives such as Connectas, which used Artificial Intelligence resources to disseminate information, have become known.