Género, antropomorfización y representación visual de robots sociales en la prensa digital latinoamericana

Abstract

This article examines the visual representation of social robots in news articles published by Latin American digital media. In a context In a context of increasing use of artificial intelligence, images play a central role in translating abstract technologies into concrete visual forms. Drawing on a content analysis of 397 news articles about social robots published between 2006 and 2026 across seven Latin American countries, the study examines processes of anthropomorphization, gender, visual framing, and the relationship between image and text. The findings reveal a predominance of humanoid representations, with a strong tendency toward anthropomorphization, in which gender is primarily constructed through bodily and aesthetic markers. Although less frequent, feminized representations tend to appear in ultrarealistic forms, in some cases hypersexualized and associated with domestic settings. In terms of framing, representations emphasizing innovation and care predominate, while critical perspectives are largely absent. Moreover, the high degree of coherence between images and headlines reinforces the anchoring function in the construction of meaning. These representations not only shape technological imaginaries but also reinforce pre-existing gender inequalities, showing how media representations of innovation can contributeto stabilizing, rather than challenging, existing social hierarchies