The face is the same. The voice, too. But the information is suspect. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools have heightened the need for caution regarding the content people receive in various forms - more than at any other time in history. This is according to professionals who fact-check information, who recommend vigilance.

A snapshot of this is provided by a survey released last week, based on 1,294 professional fact-checks in at least ten languages, conducted by Lupa Agency, a Brazilian outlet specializing in this field. The report is titled The Impact of AI on Global Fact-Checking.

Notícias relacionadas:

• Electoral Court approves restrictions on AI use in 2026 elections.
• AI: Major security concern for businesses in Brazil.
• AI-created fake content in Brazil more than triples from 2024 to 2025.

The survey’s findings reveal that 81.2 percent of disinformation cases involving artificial intelligence technologies emerged in just the past two years, between January 2024 and March 2026. Elections, wars, and coups were the most recurring topics.

According to Cristina Tardáguila, innovation and training manager at Lupa, AI is redefining disinformation globally.

“The vast majority of contents analyzed by fact-checkers end up being labeled as false or misleading. AI has rarely been designed to promote truthful content,” she said in an interview with Agência Brasil.

Beyond videos

Another observation by the researcher and founder of Lupa is that misinformation reaches the public in various formats, beyond videos, short audio clips, photos, and text. She also warned about the use of these technologies during election periods worldwide, saying such practices threaten democracies.

“This is an important election year in Brazil and in other countries in the region.” She cites electoral processes in the United States, Peru, Costa Rica, and Colombia. “This scenario will affect both fact-checkers and voters in these countries.”

“They will be inundated with AI-generated content, and there is a high likelihood that much of it is false,” she adds.

According to her, this means that the use of AI to manipulate content is no longer an isolated occurrence but a permanent feature of the digital disinformation landscape. The number of fact-checks identifying this type of falsehood rose from 160 in 2023 to 578 in 2025. By March this year, there had already been 205 such verifications.

Lies in different languages

The study focuses on language rather than geography. In English, 427 cases of AI-generated misinformation and deepfakes, such as face and voice swapping, were identified. In Spanish, there were 198, and in Portuguese, 111.

The researcher argues that the most important priority now is the spread of media literacy. She says fact-checking projects around the world support legislation aimed at helping society recognize potentially false content in posts. Media literacy, she adds, would play a role similar to a vaccine.

“We need the vaccine against misinformation - which is, in fact, quality information - to come first so that people can be prepared and resilient when they encounter AI-driven falsehoods,” Tardáguila emphasizes.

Media literacy as a solution

To this end, she calls for public policy that includes media literacy and literacy - the ability to read, write, interpret, and use language effectively - and urges its urgent inclusion in schools.

In addition to the role of government, traditional media companies can also contribute, alongside fact-checking agencies. “It is important to emphasize that fact-checking must adhere to established criteria of transparency and rigor,” Tardáguila notes. The study took into account fact-checks published and indexed by Google’s Fact Check Explorer, a free tool for searching verified information.

“I have no doubt that 2026 will be a year in which we see more and more AI. It is important for Brazilians to know this, to prepare themselves, and to be active and able to identify misinformation,” she says.

The researcher believes that any citizen can fact-check information when they have doubts about its legitimacy. Lupa Agency has created a free course for beginners.

The IDF expressed its deep regret over the incident, emphasizing that its operations in Lebanon are against Hezbollah and other terror groups alone, and not Lebanese civilians.

Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform rabbis and other Jewish leaders signed the letter organized by Israel365 Action, an NGO that builds bridges between evangelical Christians and Jewish communities.

"I would greatly appreciate the release of these women," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. "I am sure that they will respect the fact that you did so. Please do them no harm!"

Reza Dindar, a 44-year-old Iranian, faces a nine-count indictment in Seattle for attempting to evade US trade sanctions on Iran by using third countries like China for illegal exports.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society later confirmed that two Palestinians had been killed, a 14-year-old and a 32-year-old. It also stated that four others had been wounded by gunfire.

He has also requested that the A-G express her position regarding “someone who impersonates and uses a title that was not given to them in the Knesset."

In a rare bipartisan moment, the US House of Representatives passed legislation Thursday that would extend temporary protections for Haitian immigrants, a long-shot effort fighting back against President Donald Trump’s attempts to end the program.

💾

The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) announced the restoration of a regional parliament, the election of which was one of the triggers for the Tigray war, alarming observers fearing a resumption of the deadly conflict between the Ethiopian government and regional forces.

💾

“This is an extreme act that does not represent the residents of Beit Shemesh. This act is crossing a red line that has no place in our society," Hatzalah head Eli Beer said.

Seven of the arrests were made in the past 48 hours and relate to a suspected conspiracy to commit arson, though the specific target or venue has not yet been identified.

"France is one of the countries capable of playing a very concrete role in strengthening the Lebanese government’s hand," a French presidency official said ahead of the meeting.

"It's the same centuries-old stereotypes and blood libels, repackaged by replacing ' Jews' with 'Zionists," said Israel's ambassador to Sweden Ziv Nevo Kulman.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir accused Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara’s office of trying to broaden last week’s interim ruling in the ongoing case.

Trump told CNBC that he believes the US is “going to end up with a great deal” with Iran to end the weeks-long war, saying "they have no choice."

Eli Savit beat out another county prosecutor for the chance to succeed Dana Nessel, the state’s current AG, who is also a Jewish Democrat.

The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) announced the restoration of a regional parliament, the election of which was one of the triggers for the Tigray war, alarming observers fearing a resumption of the deadly conflict between the Ethiopian government and regional forces.

💾

Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby announced his country will send 1,500 troops to Haiti as part of the UN-backed security force aiming to tackle gangs.

💾

The Women’s Assistance 180 hotline - operated by the Ministry of Women - recorded 1,088,900 calls in 2025, nearly 3,000 per day, a 45 percent increase compared to 2024. Of the total, 155,111 were reports of violence against women, up 17.4 percent.

Over the year, reports of violence averaged 425 per day.

Notícias relacionadas:

• Brazil: Femicide victims 38% higher than official records.
• Hate against women increases on social media.
• Brazil unveils plan targeting perpetrators of violence against women.

Other calls involved requests for information about the national network for the protection of women, as well as public policies and campaigns.

Data from the 180 hotline for 2025 were released on Wednesday (Apr. 15).

Domestic violence

Of the total 155,111 reports of violence against women, nearly 70 percent of assaults occurred in a domestic setting, with 40.76 percent taking place at the victim’s residence and 28.58 percent in a home shared with the suspect.

The perpetrator’s home accounted for 5.39 percent (8,356) of the reports of violence on the 180 hotline.

Another 4,587 reports (2.96%) involved incidents of violence on public streets.

Reports also extend to the online environment, accounting for 2.96 percent of recorded cases of violence against women. The survey shows that in 2025, two-thirds (66.3%, or 102,770) of the reports were filed by the victims themselves, while another 26,200 (16.9%) were submitted anonymously.

Complaints from third parties, such as family members, friends, and neighbors of the victim, accounted for 16.8 percent (26,033). Another 53 reports were made by the perpetrators themselves.

Pattern of abuse

The data also highlight the persistence of violence against women in Brazil:

• 20.91 percent (32,435) of women report having experienced violence for more than a year;
• 10.15 percent (15,740) of reports indicate abuse that began recently, within the past 30 days.

Regarding the frequency of assaults, 31.86 percent of reports (49,424 cases) involve daily violence.

The report also shows that 8.10 percent of assaults (12,561 cases) occur weekly and 1.82 percent (2,817 cases) monthly.

Another 17.39 percent of victims (26,980) reported occasional assaults, while 10.50 percent (16,288) reported a single incident.

In 25.38 percent of reports (39,367), no information was provided on the frequency of the violence.

Victim profile

Structural violence against women in Brazil disproportionately affects black and brown women, according to data on the race or color of victims in hotline reports.

Black and brown women account for more than 43.16 percent of reported incidents of violence, with 51,907 reports involving brown women (33.46 percent) and 15,046 involving black (9.70 percent).

White women account for about one-third (32.54 percent) of the reports recorded by 180 hotline, with a total of 50,474 cases.

Asian women appear in 807 reports (0.52%), and indigenous women in 488 cases (0.31%).

In 36,389 cases (23.45%), no information on race or ethnicity was provided.

Age group

Although violence against women affects all age groups, the data indicate a peak in vulnerability among women aged 26 to 44. This group accounts for 57,673 cases, equivalent to 37.19 percent of all reports.

The highest incidence occurs among victims aged 40 to 44, with 15,117 reports (9.75%).

Among those affected, women aged 35 to 39 accounted for 14,594 cases (9.41%), followed by those aged 30 to 34, with 14,173 reports (9.14%), and those aged 26 to 29, with 13,789 cases (8.89%).

Types of violence

The Brazilian government notes that, under the methodology of the women’s assistance hotline, a single report may involve more than one type of violence, which increases the total number of cases recorded, as a woman may be subjected to multiple forms of abuse by the same perpetrator.

Among the most common forms of violence, psychological violence tops the list, accounting for nearly half of all reported cases, with more than 339,000 incidents (49.9%). Physical violence follows, with more than 104,000 incidents (15.3%).

The report also details other serious forms of violence during the period:

• property-related violence, with 36,938 cases (5.4%);
• sexual violence, with 20,534 reports (3.0%), of which 8,172 were classified as sexual harassment (1.2%);
• kidnapping or unlawful detention, with 2,621 cases (0.4 %).

Vicarious violence

Data from the 180 hotline reveal that, in 2025, 7,064 reports of vicarious violence were recorded, representing 4.55 percent of the total 155,111 reports.

This practice occurs when an abuser uses children, relatives, or close associates to inflict psychological suffering on the woman.

In April this year, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed into law a bill that classifies vicarious violence as a form of domestic and family violence and includes it in the list of heinous crimes, punishable by up to 40 years in prison.