MEDIATION OF INFORMATION WITH CHATBOTS

CONFIGURING THE PARAMETERS OF DIVULGA-AI

Abstract

The expansion of chatbots in digital environments has reconfigured forms of interaction among individuals, institutions, and informational content, especially in contexts of information search, access, and circulation. Against this background, this study is guided by the following question: how do RAG-based chatbots act as devices for information mediation? The objective is to describe the Divulga-AI chatbot as an information mediation device, focusing on its sociotechnical configurations and how these affect its costs. The theoretical framework brings together discussions on information mediation and RAG chatbots. Methodologically, the research is characterized as qualitative and exploratory, combining bibliographic review, action research, and documentary analysis. The empirical material comprised two technical documents related to Divulga-AI - the configuration screen and the behavioral instructions assigned to the chatbot - and two exploratory question-and-answer tests. The results and discussion are organized into three axes: presentation of Divulga-AI and its architecture; sociotechnical configurations and information mediation; and documentary, operational, and economic costs in algorithmic mediation. The study concludes that the sociotechnical configuration of RAG-based chatbots constitutes a form of implicit information mediation, as it defines the conditions for information retrieval, selection, contextualization, traceability, presentation, and cost in digital environments.