“Weapon of mass polarization:” Spain will use AI to track hate speech
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced plans to launch an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to examine how hate speech spreads on digital platforms.
Image by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced plans to launch an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to examine how hate speech spreads on digital platforms.
The system, called HODIO (short for Huella del Odio y la Polarización, or Footprint of Hate and Polarization), will analyze the spread of hate speech on Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, and Facebook, Euronews reports.
It will also assess the role of algorithms in the amplification of polarizing content.
The system will combine automated content collection, AI models, and expert human review. The classification of hate speech is based on academic criteria and international standards, according to the Spanish government.
Speaking at the International Summit against Hate and Digital Harassment, the Spanish PM says social networks have turned “already dangerous” hate into a “weapon of mass polarization that ends up seeping into everyday life.”
“The digital environment cannot be a space without rules. Today, social networks are a failed state,” Sánchez said.
The HODIO is designed to analyze public activity on social networks to measure the intensity and reach of hate speech, as well as how it evolves over time.
The data provided will inform more effective public policies against digital harassment and will increase pressure on technology companies to assume greater responsibility, according to Euronews.
The launch of HODIO comes as Spain is considering banning access to social media platforms for children under the age of 16.
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Australia became the first country in the world to ban minors from creating accounts on social media. Since then, France, Poland, Slovenia, Italy, and Austria have announced plans to prohibit or restrict children’s use of digital platforms.
One in eight (13%) children aged 9-13 have encountered hate speech online, according to a 2024 survey.
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