Representaciones sociales de la Inteligencia Artificial en estudiantes de Comunicación: entre la utilidad funcional y la tensión ética

This study analyzes the social representations surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) among undergraduate students in Communication at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo (UAEH), based on the theoretical and methodological perspectives of Moscovici (1979) and Abric (2001). Using a mixed-methods approach, a survey was applied to 78 students incorporating the word association technique, generating a corpus of over 8,000 words. The findings identified a central core of the social representation composed of terms such as information, ease, speed, and help, reflecting a functional and pragmatic view of AI. However, peripheral and contrasting elements also emerged, including terms like plagiarism, dependence, dishonesty, and ethics, which highlight tensions regarding the formative and moral implications of using these new technologies. The analysis reveals that students are not passive users but critical subjects who reinterpret AI within their educational context. AI is presented as an ambivalent social object that requires the development of pedagogical strategies focused on critical and digital literacy and ethical awareness in the training of future communication professionals.