Glossary
AI and Democracy
The effects of AI on elections, public debate, political equality, civic institutions and the conditions of self-government.
Last reviewed 2026-08-22
In plain language
Concerns include synthetic political content, targeted persuasion, surveillance of civic actors, and automation of public administration without due process. Opportunities include civic technology that improves access to information—if deployed with safeguards. Democracy impacts are not only about social media; they include procurement of government AI and concentration of computational power.
Why it matters for AI governance
Democratic legitimacy is both a goal of AI governance and a process that AI can undermine. International and regional organizations now treat this as a core policy cluster.
Authoritative sources
- Global Digital Compact (opens in a new tab) — United Nations