Framing artificial intelligence in Chilean digital press before and after the launch of ChatGPT: From concern to optimism

Abstract

This article examines the evolution of AI framing in Chilean national digital media before and after the launch of ChatGPT in 2022. Through topic modeling and emotion analysis of 1,466 articles published by six media outlets over periods that begin between 2000 and 2014, depending on the outlet, and extend in all cases until 2024, this study identifies significant thematic and affective changes. In the pre-ChatGPT period, coverage combined recognition of AI’s capabilities with concerns regarding labor displacement, governance, and human identity, frequently referencing global corporations and state institutions. In the post-ChatGPT period, topics became narrower in scope, with fewer actors and greater emphasis on universities and cultural organizations implementing AI. The focus shifted from the development of AI systems to their applications, predominantly framed in positive terms. At the same time, negative sentiment was largely confined to epistemological uncertainty. This transformation aligns with national surveys indicating growing public optimism, diverges from Global North debates centered on regulation and privacy, and converges with East Asian framings that are oriented toward innovation and creativity. These findings suggest that the launch of ChatGPT coincided with a reinforcement of a socio-technical imaginary of AI as inevitable and beneficial, yet potentially limiting the diversity of public debate.