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Convened by The Democracy and Culture Foundation in association with The New York Times, the Athens Democracy Forum is the reference point for world leaders and experts to come together for vital conversations on democratic renewal and the urgent solutions needed to address the increasingly complex challenges facing democracy. This 13th edition opened with “AI, Ethics & Democracy” sessions, a brand new module of the Forum, co-organised with the Worldwide Alliance for AI and Democracy, Kathimerini, and with the support of Piraeus.
At a moment when A.I. is expanding – and being adopted – at an exponential rate, these sessions spotlighted how artificial intelligence shapes society, democracy, and governance, looking into critical topics such as safety in the use of data, alignment with human rights, the impact on economic inequality and social cohesion, and the geopolitical dimension. Through the Worldwide Alliance for AI and Democracy, and as a European civic tech working particularly on the impact of AI on democracy, Make.org was proud to contribute actively to these discussions.
On 30 September, Achilles Tsaltas, President of The Democracy & Culture Foundation, Dimitris Papastergiou, Minister of Digital Governance, Greece, and Axel Dauchez, Founder and President of Make.org, and Founder of the Worldwide Alliance for AI and Democracy, set the tone with their opening remarks.
Achilles Tsaltas, President of The Democracy & Culture Foundation: “AI will not decide our future, but it will amplify the consciousness with which we build it. That means the responsibility is ours. The task before us is not just to regulate AI; it is to reclaim the human spirit at the centre of democracy — to ensure that intelligence, whether human or artificial, serves freedom, dignity, and truth, and to remember that no machine can replace the moral courage of awakened citizens.”
Axel Dauchez, President & Founder of Make.org, and Founder of the Worldwide Alliance for AI and Democracy: “When we talk about hashtag#AI and democracy, safeguarding the legitimacy of elections means building societal resilience — with every citizen a fighter on the front line of this battle. Today and during the next days of the Forum, we will face one question: are we here to discuss protecting what we consider democracy, or are we here to invent what democracy will be — a sustainable democracy, and a sustainable free will for our citizens.”
The continuation of the “AI, Ethics & Democracy” sessions brought together leaders and experts from institutions, academia, international organisations, and the private sector to explore the challenges at the intersection of AI and democracy — and the solutions needed to ensure they can evolve and thrive together. These sessions concluded on 1 October with insightful discussions on “Harnessing AI to Strengthen Democracy in the Age of Geopolitical Upheaval” with:
Alexis Prokopiev: “Today, the acceleration of technological innovation — specifically the rise of AI — is heavily impacting our societies, our institutions, and our democracies. AI can represent risks for democracy, but it can also be an opportunity: in the current geopolitical situation, for institutions to reconnect with citizens, and for the democratic resilience that we urgently need.”
Martyna Bildziukiewicz: “Thanks to AI, everything is more. Foreign information manipulation and disinformation are not new phenomena, but AI makes them bigger, spreads them much faster, and reaches many more people and communities. It enables threat actors to push the content they want to manipulate to wider audiences, tailoring it to specific interests, needs, and languages.”
Despina Spanou: “AI regulation is reducing part of the risks, but we cannot regulate malicious actors — for those we need creativity. While being creative to counter them, we risk postponing the opportunity to seek the good use of AI and re-equilibrate this gap. If we do, the tilt can change towards our resilience.”
Brando Benifei: “I think that the evolution of European democracy is strongly linked to the possibility of becoming an AI champion at a global level — with our values, our principles, and our approach to AI — to empower democracy rather than damage it. We have heard examples, and we can already see many instruments at the European level to strengthen democratic participation, which we need to support.”
Axel Dauchez: “When we look at AI and democracy, we have a secret weapon that no one else has: the citizens! Harnessing AI to strengthen democracy in the age of geopolitical upheaval is above all about making every citizen engaged and empowered in this new world. If we succeed, it is not a race but a concept: the collective empowerment of citizens.”
A warm thank you to the Democracy and Culture Foundation for this successful 13th edition of the Athens Democracy Forum and for initiating this effort to put the impact of AI on democracy at the heart of the 2025 edition of the Forum.