Fake news and misinformation generated by AI are a threat to democracy, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said at the Democracy Summit.
Several of the countries attending have accused China and Russia of running campaigns designed to destabilize democratic systems by using artificial intelligence to produce malicious propaganda.
The summit is being held in Seoul, marking the third year the event has been held since its launch as part of an initiative by US President Joe Biden.
AI is a double-edged sword for democracy
Speaking at the event, 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 seeks to discuss threats to democracy and find ways to mitigate the risks they pose to rights guaranteed under democratic systems.
2024 is a critical year for elections, as almost half of the world's population will go to the polls this year. Among the most important are the US presidential election and the UK general election, which are expected to be held towards the end of this year.
Speaking 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 sustains and supports the democratic values and norms.”
Several countries, including the United States and Poland, have spoken of the threat that Russia represents to democratic systems. Russian President Vladimir Putin has just achieved a predicted victory to secure power until at least 2030, after eradicating the possibility of any serious opposition competing against the current president.
Robert Kupiecki, Undersecretary of State at the Polish Foreign Ministry, said: “The only thing more appalling than Russia's actions during its current invasion of Ukraine is the disgusting web of lies woven by Russian propaganda, accelerated by social media, deepfake and omnipresent robots.”
As if to highlight the threat from 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 United States and its allies at the event.
In the summit's opening statement, Yoon said countries need to better share intelligence on Russia and China's use of AI to protect democracy.
Via Reuters
