FACEBOOK AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN CONTEMPORARY POLITICAL COMMUNICATION: SHAPING POLITICAL SUPPORT IN MALAYSIA AND INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJLGC.1145056Keywords:
Agenda-Setting Theory, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Elections, Facebook, Malaysia, Media Representation, Misinformation, Political Communication, Political Support, Social MediaAbstract
This study extends a previous review of Facebook and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in political communication in Malay language, placing both in the larger digital political information ecosystem, and offering a more holistic synthesis of political narratives, algorithmic communication, platform governance and AI-assisted verification. The study is centered mostly on Malaysia, and is compared to the United States, India and the Philippines. This paper reviews the recent academic literature on the use of Facebook by governments, political parties and other political actors to shape political perception, mobilize voters and gain political support particularly in the setting of Malaysia’s 14th and 15th General Elections (GE14 and GE15). This study explores the role of Facebook in the generation, amplification and circulation of political narratives in contemporary digital political communication based on Agenda-Setting Theory, Uses and Gratifications Theory and Spiral of Silence Theory. It also addresses the big issues of misinformation, political polarization, algorithmic screening and the integrity of democratic processes. The findings imply that Facebook is not just a campaigning arena, but a key element of the broader political information ecosystem where political narratives are built, contested and circulated. The paper also underlines the importance of transparency of political advertising, increased digital media literacy, responsible management of digital platforms and the verification of material through AI to make digital political communication in electoral processes more accountable and trustworthy.
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