Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

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[Carnegie Europe](https://carnegieendowment.org/europe)

## Can Democracy Survive the Disruptive Power of AI?

AI models enable malicious actors to manipulate information and disrupt electoral processes, threatening democracies. Tackling these challenges requires a comprehensive approach that combines technical solutions and societal efforts.

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By[Raluca Csernatoni](https://carnegieendowment.org/europe/people/raluca-csernatoni)

Published onDec 18, 2024

Since the recent popularization of powerful generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems, there are growing fears that they will impact and [destabilize democracies](https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/how-ai-threatens-democracy/) in unforeseen ways. These emerging technologies, made famous by [large language models](https://cset.georgetown.edu/article/what-are-generative-ai-large-language-models-and-foundation-models/) (LLMs) like OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot, refer to algorithms that can produce new content based on the data they have been trained on. They can write text and music, craft realistic images and videos, generate synthetic voices, and manipulate vast amounts of information. While generative AI models hold tremendous potential for innovation and creativity, they also open the door to misuse in various ways for democratic societies. These technologies present significant threats to democracies by enabling malicious actors—from political opponents to foreign adversaries—to manipulate public perceptions, disrupt electoral processes, and amplify misinformation.

With increased use of AI-generated content and a [cohort of countries](https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2018/rise-digital-authoritarianism) moving toward digital authoritarianism by embracing AI-supercharged mass surveillance, the stakes could not be higher. Beyond generally introducing more complexity into the information environment and allowing the faster creation of higher-quality content by more people, generative AI models have the potential to impact democratic discourse by challenging the integrity of elections and further enabling digital authoritarianism. But this is just one facet of a larger issue: the collision between rapidly advancing AI technologies and the erosion of democratic safeguards. The intersection of digital authoritarianism and AI systems—from simpler AI technologies to the latest state-of-the-art LLMs—empowers autocratic governments both domestically and in their [foreign interference](https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2023/repressive-power-artificial-intelligence) tactics, presenting a key challenge for twenty-first-century democracy.

The core of the problem lies in the speed and scale at which AI tools, once deployed or weaponized on social media platfo

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