This event is part of PRIO's European Security Week and is organized by the CENTREPEACE project.
A light breakfast will be served.
Join us for a discussion on how states and other actors use information and psychological tools to gain influence, and what democracies can do in response. Actors involved in geopolitical competition seek to influence their adversaries' populations by trying to shape perceptions, influence public debate, and undermine trust in national institutions. Methods used include disinformation campaigns using manipulated images, AI-generated content and coordinating activity on digital networks. Democracies face profound dilemmas when countering these strategies, such as how to respond to influence operations without undermining the openness and freedoms that they seek to uphold.
Topics for discussion will include:
- How are disinformation campaigns used to undermine public trust in governments?
- What role is played by emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence?
- How do cognitive strategies exploit vulnerabilities in democratic societies?
- How can cybersecurity and cyber hygiene mitigate them?
- What policies can governments use to strengthen resilience?
Speakers will be:
Jan Kleiner, Assistant Professor of political science at Masaryk University whose work examines international security, strategic competition, cybersecurity and the use of influence and information tools in geopolitics.
Stine Bergersen, Senior Researcher at PRIO who focuses upon how digital technologies, online ecosystems, and societal vulnerabilities shape the spread and impact of disinformation in democratic societies.
Ilaria Carrozza, Senior Researcher at PRIO who studies the governance of emerging technology, in particular the use of AI by authoritarian states to manipulate public opinion and suppress dissent.
