Generative AI & Democracy Working Group

Increased public access to and awareness of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) applications, which were launched into the spotlight with the release of ChatGPT in late 2022, presents both opportunities and risks for democratic societies. As generative AI began dominating the public conversation, with ChatGPT becoming the fastest-growing consumer application in history, the International Republican Institute (IRI) received increased demand from partners globally for support to prepare for current and potential impacts caused by generative AI. In response, IRI’s Technology and Democracy Practice launched the Generative AI and Democracy Working Group to address this need. IRI’s Technology and Democracy Practice works to ensure that digital technologies are developed, deployed, governed, and used to advance democratic values.   

This working group, officially launched in November 2023, created a collaborative space for 30+ global democratic actors – including representatives from civil society, academia, industry, and policy – to discuss the impacts GenAI is having on democracies, with a particular focus on trends in the Global South. The intent of the working group was to help fill a gap in knowledge that may widen as AI continues to evolve, and to provide guidance to civil society and policymakers on how to maximize the benefits and minimize the harms of generative AI to democracy.  

The working group met across six sessions, spanning from November 2023 to May 2024, before culminating in the release of a white paper synthesizing findings in the summer of 2024. Discussion topics included current and potential harms of generative AI to democracy, impacts to information environments, issues of transparency, opportunities for positive use, and regulatory approaches, among others. The white paper – titled Democracy in the Age of Generative AI: Navigating Risks and Harnessing Opportunities – includes an overview of risks and opportunities as well as guidance and recommendations for civil society, government, and industry on navigating threats and opportunities for GenAI and democracy. 

To build upon the work conducted through the development of the white paper, IRI is designing follow-on programming to more specifically address capacity gaps key democracy stakeholder groups face to ensure they can safely and effectively minimize GenAI’s risks while leveraging its opportunities. If you’d like to learn more or have any questions, please reach out to azink@iri.org. 

Working Group Members

An illustrative list of working group members’ organizations can be found below. Participants come from across the globe and represent a variety of fields. Please note that this list is not comprehensive:

  • Article 19, Mexico and Central America Regional Office 
  • Bullyid Indonesia 
  • Center for Digital Economy and Governance, Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) 
  • Center for Humane Technology 
  • Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) 
  • Connected by Data 
  • Freedom House 
  • International Forum for Democratic Studies (IFDS), National Endowment for Democracy (NED) 
  • International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) 
  • I4C Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, South Asia Hub 
  • Microsoft’s Democracy Forward Initiative   
  • National Democratic Institute (NDI) 
  • PIT Policy Lab 
  • Pollicy 
  • Stanford Internet Observatory

Learn more about the Generative AI & Democracy Working Group

View Our Introductory PDF

Democracy in the Age of Generative AI Launch Event 9.17.24

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