The Role of AI-Driven Social Media Narratives in Shaping Public Support for EU Integration in North Macedonia

Abstract

This study investigates the public perception of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its algorithmic influence on the European Union (EU) integration debate in North Macedonia. Given the need for fulfilling important geopolitical obligations, such as the mandatory constitutional reform, North Macedonia finds itself at a crucial point where the organic public sphere transitions into an AI-driven one. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational survey approach (N=357), the current research explores the level of computational propaganda recognition among citizens and the impact on their geopolitical attitudes. The findings reveal that North Macedonia is home to a population that is highly aware of the online space and that everyone in the sample perceives the manipulative nature of algorithms and the deliberate dissemination of Eurosceptic content. Additionally, there is a clear pattern of stratification by ethnicity in terms of the so-called "trust gap", where Macedonians show higher levels of digital cynicism than their ethnic counterparts because of the targeted manipulation of identity-related content. Most importantly, this research uncovers a striking phenomenon of "Digital Resilience" where both Albanians and Macedonians exhibit overwhelmingly high personal commitment to EU integration despite recognizing the polarized and manipulated digital space.