At its latest plenary meeting, the Steering Committee on Democracy (CDDEM) took note of the study Generative AI and Democracy: Advantages and Risks of the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Public Debate and Democratic Processes, commissioned from the AI, Media & Democracy Lab at the University of Amsterdam, in collaboration with GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences.

Prepared by lead authors Professor Natali Helberger and Professor Claes de Vreese, together with a multidisciplinary team of researchers specialising in media, communication, law and democracy, the study examines the opportunities and risks that generative AI presents for democratic institutions, public debate and democratic processes.

The study examines the opportunities and risks that generative AI presents for democratic institutions and processes, with a particular focus on journalism, electoral campaigns, political participation and the governance of digital infrastructures. While highlighting the potential of generative AI to enhance access to information, participation and inclusion, it also identifies significant risks relating to disinformation, democratic resilience, media sustainability, concentration of power and the protection of human rights. The report concludes with a number of recommendations for the Council of Europe, including the development of guidance on democratic governance of AI, support for public-interest innovation, and measures to strengthen democratic resilience. It also identifies several areas that could usefully inform the future work of the CDDEM, notably on AI and democracy, citizen participation, democratic governance and the protection of elections in the digital age.