New Report: Harnessing AI to Protect and Promote Democratic Governance

We need a fundamental reimagining of our political systems. This requires a proactive approach that harnesses the power of AI to protect and strengthen democratic values, such as transparency, accountability, and inclusivity, while mitigating the associated risks.

This is one of the main conclusions of the final report of the AI4Democracy initiative, authored by AI4Democracy Research Director Primavera De Filippi, who also serves as Research Director at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Faculty Associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University.

The report's key recommendation are below.

For industry:
- Develop transparent and scalable AI to detect disinformation with third-party audits.
- Use AI to identify cyber threats and protect election systems early.
- Create open-source AI tools to analyze large-scale citizen feedback.

For public-private partnerships:
- Combine private innovation with public oversight to align AI with societal goals.
- Build platforms for real-time citizen feedback with human rights safeguards.
- Test AI innovations in low-risk environments through regulatory sandboxes.

For policymakers:
- Establish harmonized regulations embedding transparency and accountability.
- Invest in public AI infrastructure to preserve digital sovereignty.
- Create research hubs focused on AI’s role in civic engagement and governance.

Access the full report and learn more about our AI4Democracy initiative here.