Josip Popovac for RTL Detektor: Can Regulators Keep Pace with Disinformation and Artificial Intelligence?

The new episode of the RTL Detektor podcast, released on Friday, 18 September, features Josip Popovac, Director of the Agency for Electronic Media. The conversation provides a broader perspective on the challenges facing Croatia’s media landscape, the responsibilities of publishers and social media platforms, and the growing influence of artificial intelligence on the creation, dissemination and detection of disinformation.

One of the central questions addressed in the episode is whether existing regulatory mechanisms can keep pace with the rapid development of digital platforms and emerging technologies. As the ways in which content is produced and distributed continue to evolve, there is an increasing need for more effective cooperation among regulators, media organisations, researchers, technology platforms and citizens.

Popovac discusses the responsibility of media publishers to uphold professional standards, as well as the role of social media platforms, through which false and misleading information can reach large audiences within a very short period of time. Particular attention is given to artificial intelligence, which offers new possibilities for analysing and verifying content while simultaneously enabling the creation of increasingly convincing deceptive material.

The episode also presents initiatives aimed at strengthening society’s resilience to disinformation, including the Točno tako project, media literacy activities and the work of the Adria Digital Media Observatory – ADMO. Their shared objective is to connect research, fact-checking, education and public communication, helping citizens identify unreliable sources more easily and make informed decisions.

The conversation highlights that tackling disinformation cannot be the responsibility of a single institution. It requires a coordinated approach across the entire media ecosystem, while safeguarding freedom of expression, media pluralism and public trust.

The episode was produced as part of the ADMO 2.0 × RTL Detektor collaboration, which brings important topics related to disinformation, digital platforms and the contemporary media environment closer to the wider public.

The episode has been available on RTL Detektor’s platforms since 18 September. You can watch the full episode at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZQPF2N-42E