Percepciones del alumnado universitario sobre los deepfakes generados mediante inteligencia artificial: El caso de Grok

Marta Sánchez-Hunt; Estefanía Cestino González; Aránzazu Román-San-Miguel

doi:10.4185/rlcs-2027-2740

Authors

Sánchez-Hunt, Marta Universidad de Cádiz https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7321-5107
Estefanía Cestino González Universidad de Málaga https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2436-8665
Román-San-Miguel, Aránzazu Universidad de Sevilla https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2436-8665

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4185/rlcs-2027-2740

Keywords:

artificial intelligence, deepfakes, digital ethics, disinformation, Grok, university students

Abstract

Introduction: In the current context of expanding generative Artificial Intelligence, deepfakes emerge as a specific challenge affecting information accuracy, identity, and social trust. The accessibility of tools such as Grok intensifies these issues, particularly among university students, a key group in digital literacy processes. This study aims to analyze their perceptions regarding risks, regulation, and training needs associated with this technology. Methodology: A quantitative exploratory approach was adopted using a structured questionnaire. The sample consisted of 249 students from three Andalusian institutions: the University of Seville, the University of Málaga, and Centro Universitario EUSA. The instrument collected perceptions on risks, regulation, and educational needs related to deepfakes generated through Grok. Results: Misinformation is identified as the main perceived risk, followed by identity impersonation and privacy violations. There is also a strong demand for stricter regulatory frameworks, greater algorithmic transparency, and advanced media literacy programs. Grok is predominantly viewed in a critical light. Discussion: The findings reveal significant concern about the social impact of deepfakes and a critical perception of their use. The demand for regulation and training reflects growing awareness of the risks and the need for tools to address them effectively. Conclusions: Deepfakes have an ambivalent nature that requires proactive regulatory frameworks, shared ethical responsibility, and university education focused on the critical governance of artificial intelligence.

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Author Biographies

Sánchez-Hunt, Marta, Universidad de Cádiz

Professor at the University of Cádiz, where she teaches courses in the Advertising and Public Relations undergraduate programs on topics related to digital communication and interactive media. She holds a Ph.D. in Communication, and her teaching and research focus on digital political communication, social media analysis—particularly Instagram—artificial intelligence, and its impact on contemporary communication models. She has conducted research on communication strategies on social media, disinformation, deepfakes, and the use of artificial intelligence in the media. Currently, one of her main lines of research explores the relationship between artificial intelligence, ethics, and communication in digital environments.

Estefanía Cestino González, Universidad de Málaga

Ph.D. in Audiovisual Communication from the Interuniversity Doctoral Program in Communication at the University of Málaga. Bachelor’s degree in Audiovisual Communication. Certified Hearing and Speech Teacher. Diploma in Speech-Language Pathology. Master’s degree in Audiovisual Creation and Performing Arts from the University of Málaga and Master’s degree in Neurological Speech-Language Pathology from the University of VIC. She has been a faculty member at the University of Málaga since the 2010–11 academic year. She is affiliated with the Department of Audiovisual Communication and Advertising. She currently works in the Department of Business Organization and Administration. She is a member of Project PID2022-138281NB-C22, “Media Repertoires and Practices in Adolescence and Youth: Reception and Use of Online Audiovisual Platforms.”

Román-San-Miguel, Aránzazu, Universidad de Sevilla

Tenured Professor of Journalism at the University of Seville and director of the Master’s Program in Data Journalism and Artificial Intelligence. Head of the Communication Strategies research group. Instructor in the Bachelor’s Program in Journalism and the Dual Degree Program in Journalism and Audiovisual Communication, where she teaches courses related to information and communication technologies. She also teaches in the Master’s Program in Institutional and Political Communication, where she coordinates the course on Diagnosis and Research of Institutional and Political Communication Strategies. One of her main lines of research focuses on the use of artificial intelligence in journalism and its ethical limits.

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