Democracy In The Age Of Artificial Intelligence

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Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming how governments govern and how citizens engage with the state, with far-reaching consequences for democratic processes and institutions. From the growing use of AI in policymaking in the name of efficiency, to the impact of deepfakes on election campaigns, to the use of AI by private companies eager to harvest consumers’ personal data, these technologies have quickly become embedded in everyday life.

How is the expanding use of AI reshaping the relationship between citizens and the state? Who should set the rules governing the development and deployment of AI, and how can democratic institutions effectively regulate tech giants? Our panel of experts will explore these critical questions.

Claudia Chwalisz is the Founder and CEO of Democracy Next, an international research and action institute focused on scaling high quality, empowered, and permanent citizens’ assemblies. She also co-leads the Tech-Enhanced Deliberative Assembly pop-up lab with the MIT Center for Constructive Communication where she explores ways to use new technologies, such as AI, to improve the citizens’ assembly process. Prior to this, Chwalisz established and led the OECD’s work on innovative citizen participation, creating the Deliberative Democracy Toolbox.

Dr. Louisa Bartolo is a policy manager at Meta, where she engages with external experts from academia and civil society to inform the tech giant’s genAI product policies. She obtained her PhD at the Digital Media Research Centre at the Queensland University of Technology, where she focused on issues of responsible algorithmic recommender systems in the context of emerging systems-based online safety regulation (e.g., EU Digital Services Act, UK Online Safety Act).

Dr. Elzabeth Seger is the Director of Digital Policy at Demos, a London based thinktank where we strive to build bridges between politicians, technical experts, and citizens to make sure technology works for and with people. I was previously a researcher with Centre for the Governance of AI (GovAI) in Oxford, and am an affiliate of the AI: Futures and Responsibility Project (AI:FAR) at the University of Cambridge.

Dr. Melanie Smallman is a Professor of Science and Technology Studies at the UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies. Her research looks at the role of science and innovation – particularly data-technologies and AI – in increasing inequality, and how the social impacts of these technologies can be included in ethical and policy considerations.

Chair: Prof. Jeffrey Howard is a philosopher at University College London, where he is Professor of Political Philosophy & Public Policy and the founding Director of the Digital Speech Lab. He was recently appointed to the Online Information Advisory Committee for the UK Office of Communications (Ofcom), which advises on mis- and disinformation challenges in relation to the Online Safety Act.

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2026 is the year in which we celebrate UCL’s Bicentenary, marking 200 years since UCL’s establishment as the first University in London.

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