How does technological progress affect our democracy? In a series of interviews, we meet KTH researchers who are examining the risks, opportunities and future power dynamics in an increasingly digitalised world. The topics range from AI-generated lies and cyber threats to citizens’ councils and new electoral systems.
AI is putting pressure on democracy
AI makes it easier than ever to create credible but false content – and this is having an impact on politics. Anders Hedman, a researcher in media technology, warns of increasing polarisation, declining trust and a democracy under pressure from rapid technological development.
It has been called a democratic innovation and a renewal of the democratic system. Researchers at KTH have studied how the City of Gothenburg has used citizens’ assemblies to involve residents in the municipality’s climate and environmental efforts.
In a future where robots are taking over more and more of our tasks and can interpret and mirror our behaviour, what effect will this have on democracy and its citizens?
For nearly 20 years, he has explained the mathematics behind Sweden’s electoral system – in interviews, opinion pieces and television studios. He has also helped change the way votes are translated into seats in parliament. Yet there are still things about the system that trouble mathematics professor Svante Linusson.
All it takes is one weak link. A vulnerability in a payment system, a breach at a power plant, an attack on a government agency’s servers. Services we take for granted suddenly stop working. Pontus Johnson, professor of cybersecurity at KTH, researches how we protect the digital infrastructure on which democracy depends.
From the printing press to TikTok – technology that shaped democracy
In the coming Swedish election, AI and TikTok may influence the voters. But this is not the first time that new technology has shaped the course of society – for better or for worse – when it comes to democracy and freedom.
