PTLaunched during the Global Media and Information Literacy Week in Colombia, the campaign highlights the importance of fact-checking data provided by virtual assistants.
Hi everyone!
By José Brito, journalist and founder of Pupa Educação Digital.
“I failed my literature test because of you. You told me Shakespeare wrote Don Quixote, and you were wrong. Why did you give me facts that don’t exist?”
Excerpt from UNESCO’s Media and Information Literacy Alliance campaign, launched during Global MIL Week.
AI-generated image with Gemini
It’s all a matter of trust, combined with a small dose of science, method, and emotional safety for new kinds of relationships. It sounds simple. And it should be. Except it isn’t.
After all, what do we mean by new relationships in this world filled with technologies and synthetic media? What does method mean when we’re doing a search on Google or ChatGPT? Where does the science behind algorithms come from? And whom do you trust when you receive a piece of information?
All these questions converge on a single point: our responsibility when producing, sharing, or engaging with media in today’s informational environment. Calling a virtual assistant “you” opens the door to a curious kind of future, one that requires care so we don’t lose track of what’s real and what’s imagined. Of what’s fact, opinion, or summary. Of what comes from the machine’s choices, or from our own.
The highlighted quote in this week’s newsletter comes from a frustrated teenager who, after getting a low grade on her literature exam, turns to her favorite virtual assistant in disappointment:
“Why did you do this? Why did you lie to me? Don Quixote de La Mancha was written by Miguel de Cervantes, not William Shakespeare! Why did you give me facts that don’t exist???”
In another example, a young Colombian woman faces an embarrassing situation at the airport: she’s denied boarding for her vacation because her virtual assistant forgot to mention she needed a visa. And then there’s the elderly man who becomes convinced he has a rare disease after an AI-powered assistant misinterprets his mild flu symptoms.
If any of these stories sound familiar, don’t worry — they’re not real. But they easily could be.
According to a recent Columbia Journalism Review study, AI-driven search engines cite incorrect news sources at an alarming rate of 60 percent. These findings were shared as part of a UNESCO institutional campaign launched in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, during Global Media and Information Literacy Week.
Not surprisingly, we can safely say that despite its many benefits, and there are plenty, AI also makes mistakes.
So, my friend, unless you’re already an expert, a policymaker, a curriculum designer, or someone who’s drawn up clear digital-use agreements with your loved ones at home, it’s time to pay closer attention.
Your problems are not over yet. Welcome to the Department of Misled AI Consumers. 😉
The good news? It gets better with time. We’re all still learning, day by day, to use AI consciously about AI, not just with AI.
Every year since 2013, the penultimate week of October has been a special moment to draw public attention to the challenges of our digital and media environment, amplifying voices and actions that improve access to quality information, promote critical thinking, and strengthen technical understanding of technology and media use.
Pupa Educação Digitalis proud to be one of the 297 institutional members of the UNESCO Global Alliance for Media and Information Literacy, reinforcing the importance of digital education — especially in how children, teenagers, and adults use AI-enabled devices. Often, the first step toward understanding technology begins with a question.
This year, the 3rd Brazilian Media and Information Literacy Week (October 28 – 31) focuses on the theme:
“Mobilizing a Generation for Digital Citizenship.”
#1 Digital and Media Literacy in Brazil: Educational Progress and Safer Paths for Connected Families
Source: Semana Brasileira de Educação Midiática + Unesco MIL Alliance
Source: Época Negócios + Canal Meio
Source: Stanford Report
Source: Tecnoblog
Source: G1
He’s from my hometown, born in Petrópolis and raised on the bustling corners of a Rio de Janeiro that’s definitely not for amateurs. When the topic is history, literature, a good chat about cultural heritage or football, you can bet he’ll be there.
A proud tricolor fan and lover of those witty TikTok-style narratives, he’s passionate about people, about telling stories of everyday life, of the tales that live on in Brazil’s popular culture and travel across its many territories.
We worked together in the newsroom at Canal Futura nearly a decade ago, from 2012 to 2016. Back then, Thiago Gomide was already known for his energy, charisma, and, of course, the journalistic talent of someone who’s got one foot in history and the other in humor. Journalist, digital educator, and master of multiple storytelling languages, his LinkedIn profile today reads simply: Professor and Creator.
And rightly so. Thiago has become a phenomenon, surpassing two million followers across social media with his channel Tá na História, while also contributing as a columnist for O Globo newspaper and CBN Radio, and as host and podcaster for the History Channel.
For all that, and for the evolving richness of his journey — here’s today’s recommendation: a book for anyone who wants to go beyond conventional stories. A dive into Brazil’s traditional knowledge, drawn from lively conversations collected across all 27 federative units of the country.
From a jaguar raised as a house cat in Acre to the public market of Porto Alegre. From João Alves, the Kissing Man, to Césio-137. Between the streets of Fordlândia, the Fera da Penha and a few UFO sightings, you’ll find plenty of stories worth checking — alongside the author, his sources, his records and travels.
It’s a mix of research, lived experience, and verified facts. A commitment to literacy, media education, and historical accuracy — and, above all, a delightful read that connects perfectly with our increasingly nostalgic human-digital world, one that still longs for those genuine, face-to-face connections.
I haven’t gotten an autograph yet — I admit it. A tough mission, considering Thiago’s packed schedule of events and projects. But someday, over coffee, I’ll make it happen.
Happy reading — and let’s keep going!
» Tá na história Brasil – An Unconventional Almanac about the History of Every State and the Federal District
Autor: Thiago Gomide
Publisher: Globo Livros
Year: 2025
