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In recent years, our open democratic societies have experienced an increase in attacks aimed at polarizing opinions and increasing the feeling of distrust. These attempts use disinformation as one of the main weapons against pluralism and freedom of expression. 2024 is a major election year and is already seeing an increase in these foreign attacks. It is also the 75th anniversary of the creation of NATO, a defensive alliance based on the principles of democracy, individual freedom and the rule of law.
This consultation on the fight against disinformation is part of a project led by SciencesPo and its Technology and Global Affairs Innovation Hub (PSIA) in collaboration with the independent European organization Make.org. It aims to raise awareness among young people and to inform policy and industry leaders in France, Romania and Moldova on the importance of fighting the growing threat of information manipulation and foreign interference in times of democratic challenges but also in a critical period in terms of security in Europe. Young citizens of these countries are particularly impacted by online disinformation; they will be asked to answer the question “What are your ideas for protecting democracies from disinformation (fake news, AI, attempts to influence...)?” on Make.org from May 15, 2024 until June 16, 2024.
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“The threat of destabilization of our democracies is currently exacerbated by technological innovations such as generative artificial intelligence. It is salient in a year marked by several key elections around the world,” explains Constance de Leusse, executive director of the Technology and Global Affairs Innovation Hub at SciencesPo. “At the same time, innovation and AI can also be used for democratic purposes, to detect and counter disinformation. This consultation shows how new technologies, combined with academic research, can increase the resilience of democratic societies” adds Axel Dauchez, President of Make.org.
The objective of this consultation is to determine to what extent two important NATO countries, France and Romania, as well as a country such as Moldova which represents many challenges, and their citizens can improve their collective responses to face these new challenges through the use of technological innovations, among other remedies. This massive citizen consultation will be the subject of an in-depth analysis as part of an academic research program, the conclusions of which will be presented publicly.
With the support of:
