This event is part of PRIO's European Security Week.
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?
