AI and the Future of Democracy: Challenges and Opportunities

On the occasion of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit , organized by France on February 10 and 11, 2025, the Paris Bar Association, in partnership with the , is pleased to invite you to an exceptional round table discussion on the theme: “AI and the Future of Democracy: Challenges and Opportunities”

Date: February 11, 2025

Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Venue: Maison du Barreau, auditorium 2 rue de Harlay, 75001, Paris

Rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are raising critical questions about its potential impact on democratic institutions and processes. While AI holds great promise, such as enhancing productivity and streamlining the work of legal professionals, it also presents significant risks to society and democracy.One major concern is the lack of transparency surrounding the data used to train widely adopted AI systems, which raises questions about the protection of data owners' rights. Additionally, AI systems can perpetuate biases, produce inaccurate outputs (often referred to as “hallucinations”), and facilitate large-scale disinformation by enabling the rapid spread of false or misleading information. The growing ability of AI to create convincing synthetic content—such as realistic images, audio, and videos—further heightens the risk of manipulation and deception. These dangers become especially concerning when artificial intelligence is exploited by malicious actors, such as authoritarian regimes or terrorist organizations. The risks are further exacerbated by the concentration of advanced AI development within large technology companies. This raises the critical question of how to deploy artificial intelligence in a manner that upholds democratic principles and safeguards fundamental rights.

To address these critical issues, the Paris Bar, in collaboration with the Stanford Cyber Policy Center, warmly invites you to a round table discussion with:

• Florence G’sell, Visiting Professor of Private Law, Director of the program « Governance of Emerging Technologies », Stanford Cyber Policy Center – moderator
• Nate Persily, James B. McClatchy Professor of Law, Stanford Law School.
• Emmanuel Candès, Barnum-Simons Chair in Mathematics and Statistics, Director of Stanford Data Science, Stanford University
• Rob Reich, McGregor-Girand Professor of Social Ethics of Science and Technology, Associate Director of the Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI), Stanford University.
• Devya Siddarth, co-founder of the Collective Intelligence Project, graduate research affiliate at the Stanford Digital Economy Lab.
• Pierre Hoffman, President of the Paris Bar
• Vanessa Bousardo, Vice President of the Paris Bar

Discussions will be held in English, with simultaneous interpretation provided in French.

Event Venue

Maison du Barreau, 2 Rue de Harlay, Paris, France