The atmosphere at Media Party New York 2026 on Friday, May 8, was vibrant, but it was Laura Zommer, CEO of Fact Chequeado, who grounded that energy into something deeply human. In her keynote, “AI Is Rewriting Media Innovation And Bringing Us Closer to Our Communities?”, Zommer took us on a journey through three decades of journalism, proving that while the tools change, the mission of serving people remains the main priority.
Here is a summary of the insights, failures, and breakthroughs shared by one of the most influential voices in fact-checking.
1. The Lessons of "Brilliant" Failures
Innovation isn’t always a straight line to success. Zommer reminded the Media Party community of 2012—the very first Media Party in Buenos Aires—where her team at Chequeado won an award for Chequeo Colectivo. It was an app designed to let people crowdsource fact-checks.
In honesty, it felt brilliant,” Zommer admitted. “Did it work? Not at all. Hardly anyone downloaded it.”
But that “failure” wasn’t a waste. It taught the team a fundamental lesson: Innovation is about listening. It wasn’t about the app; it was about the commitment to understanding what the community actually cared about. That realization paved the way for every AI-driven success that followed.
2. From ChequiaBot to Chat Migrante: AI with a Purpose
Zommer highlighted that for small, independent newsrooms, AI isn’t a luxury—it’s an equalizer.
- 2016 (The Early Days): They built ChequiaBot in-house because Big Tech’s transcription tools didn’t work for Spanish. It was one of the first instances of using a Large Language Model (LLM) to automate the tedious task of monitoring TV and radio for factual claims.
- 2025/2026 (The Breakthrough): Launching Chat Migrante on WhatsApp. This tool was born from a crisis: the invocation of the Alien Enemies Act and the resulting fear in Latino communities.
Chat Migrante provides 24/7 verified information on immigration status and rights. The impact? A 250% growth in interactions with their WhatsApp number right after launching. Whether it’s midnight, Sunday, or any moment of the week, the AI ensures that families have access to curated, official sources when they need it most.
3. The "Human-in-the-Loop" Philosophy
Despite the speed and affordability AI provides, Zommer was firm on one point: The human element is non-negotiable. Fact Chequeado’s models are trained on an in-house database of over 500 official sources. Crucially, the AI is programmed to say “I don’t know” rather than hallucinate—a design choice made to protect the community’s trust.
There are very few fields where keeping a human in the loop matters as much as it does in journalism and in the pursuit of truth.”
4. Beyond Checking: Teaching AI Literacy
Innovation in 2026 isn’t just about using AI to verify news; it’s about helping the community navigate an AI-shaped world. Zommer introduced Fact Desafía, a WhatsApp-based initiative that uses short, interactive challenges to teach users how to spot AI-generated fakes, protect their privacy, and use these tools in their daily lives.
For us, Fact Desafía represents something bigger than a media literacy project. It reflects how the role of journalists themselves is evolving, not only to verify information after confusion has spread, but develop the knowledge and tools our audience need to navigate an increasingly AI shaped world with more confidence, context, and agency.
In other words, using technology to keep finding ways to get closer to our community”.
The Media Party Takeaway
Laura Zommer’s keynote was a powerful reminder that AI alone doesn’t bring us closer to our communities. It is the service—answering a question on WhatsApp at 2:00 AM or helping a voter understand their rights—that builds trust.
Innovation is faster and more affordable than ever, but its heartbeat remains the same: being useful, being accessible, and being human.
Stay tuned for more updates and deep dives from Media Party New York 2026!
