AI-generated fake news and disinformation pose a threat to democracy, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said at the Summit for Democracy.
Some of the countries present have accused China and Russia of carrying out campaigns intended to destabilize democratic systems by using AI to produce malicious propaganda.
The summit will take place in Seoul, marking the third year of the event since it was launched as part of an initiative by US President Joe Biden.
AI is a double-edged sword for democracy
During his speech, the South Korean president said: “Fake news and disinformation based on artificial intelligence and digital technology not only violate individual freedom and human rights, but also threaten democratic systems.”
More than 30 countries are attending the summit, which aims to discuss threats to democracy and find ways to limit the risks they pose to the rights provided by democratic systems.
2024 is a crucial year for elections, with almost half of the world’s population going to the polls this year. Among the most important are the US presidential election and the UK general election, which are expected to take place at the end of this year.
At the event, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “As authoritarian and repressive regimes deploy technologies to undermine democracy and human rights, we must ensure that technology preserves and supports democratic values and norms.”
A number of countries, including the US and Poland, have spoken about the threat Russia poses to democratic systems. Russian President Vladimir Putin has just won a predicted victory to secure power until at least 2030, after eradicating the possibility of any serious opposition to the incumbent.
Robert Kupiecki, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: “The only thing more heinous than Russia’s actions during their ongoing invasion of Ukraine is the disgusting web of lies spun by Russian propaganda, accelerated by social media, deepfake techniques and ubiquitous bots.”
As if to emphasize the threat posed by Russia, China and their allies, North Korea launched several ballistic missiles into the sea just before the start of the event, in an apparent show of force against the US and its allies during the event.
In the summit’s opening statement, Yoon said countries should better share information about Russian and Chinese use of AI to protect democracy.
Through Reuters