How do malicious AI swarms threaten democratic elections? A multistakeholder response

Event Type
DW Global Media Forum Event

Location / Date
Bonn, 23.06.2026

Organizer

German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)

This session examines concrete AI-driven threats to electoral integrity and how different stakeholders should collaborate to address them. Development cooperation and media sectors are still behind the curve, failing to fully acknowledge how these tools are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Malicious AI swarms are now capable of generating persuasive content at scale, autonomously coordinating to infiltrate online communities, mimicking social dynamics, and deploying large-scale harassment against civil society. The session explores how different actors can respond.

Speakers

  • Wafa Ben-Hassine, Chief, Digital Technologies and Human Rights Section, OHCHR
  • Julia Brothers, Deputy Director of Elections, National Democratic Institute (NDI)
  • Ika Idris, Co-Director, Monash Data & Democracy Research Hub
  • Daniel Thilo Schroeder, Researcher, SINTEF Digital
  • Semuhi Sinanoğlu, Senior Researcher, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)
     

Moderator

  • Shristi Mangal Pal, Multimedia journalist, DW

Hinweis

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