DEMOCRACY in a DIGITAL SOCIETY Conference Report
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DEMOCRACY IN A DIGITAL SOCIETY Conference Report Trust, Evidence and Public Discourse in a Changing Media Environment Thursday, 24th of January, 9:30-17:00 Einstein-Saal, Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Scien- ces & Humanities, Berlin About RE-IMAGINE EUROPA Launched in 2018, Re-Imagine Europa is the first incubator for new political ideas to reinforce Europe’s role as a global economic power in the 21st century able to safe- guard a prosperous future of peace, freedom and social justice for all its citizens Re-Imagine Europa was founded by President Giscard d’Estaing to honour his life-long friendship and collaboration with Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and building on the spirit of pragmatism and solidarity that was foundational in the creation of the European project. About ALLEA ALLEA is the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities, repre- senting more than 50 academies from over 40 countries in Europe. Since its foundation in 1994, ALLEA represents its Member Academies on the European stage and seeks to promote science as a global public good. Our activities aim at shaping the conditions for science and research, providing the best science advice available for citizens and policymakers, and strengthening the role of science in society. In the spirit of true collaboration and cooperation, ALLEA offers a platform for European academies to work together on topics of mutual interest and for the betterment of the inhabitants of Europe. Solving challenges in an ever more com- plex world requires comprehensive interdisciplinary and international cooperation from beginning to end. Contents INDEX Introduction 5 BOX 1: Re-Imagine Europa’s Task Force on Democracy in a Digital Society 9 BOX 2: ALLEA’s Working Group on Truth Trust and Expertise 11 PART 1: Europe, Democracy and Digital Technologies 12 PART 2: The Role of Truth, Trust and Expertise for Democracy 17 PART 3: Focus Groups 23 CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT 24 Digital Solutions in a Disenchanted Age and Empowering Citizens in the Digital Age DISINFORMATION 27 The Role of the Media in the Digital Information Ecosystem and the Impact on Elections BOX 3: The European Commission's Actions to Combat Disinformation 30 REGULATION 33 The Ethics of Balancing the Internet and the Legal and Ethical implications of Data and AI BOX 4: The European Commission's View on Artificial Intelligence 36 NARRATIVES 39 Defining the World and Trust in Governance, Science and Expertise BOX 5: Mechanisms that Shape Social Media and their Impact on Society 42 Conclusions and Next Steps 46 - Key take-aways 48 Participants and Contributors 49 The battle for a renewed democracy and for a new European dream can only be won if we win the battle at the institu- tional, cultural and digital level. Academy, reminded us: Socrates (as referred Re-Imagine Europa’s task force on “Democra- She underlined the important initial work done by Plato) thought that “the trouble is that cy in a Digital Society”. by the European Commission these past writing is a technology that allows words to go years, from the creation of a High-Level Expert fatherless into the world, nobody can see who As President Giscard d’Esating expressed, “at Group on Fake News and Online Disinformation, speaks, nobody can see who the author is”. Re-Imagine Europa we are convinced that we to the publication of the Code of Practice Whilst it took two-thousand years to tame this need to work together, bringing both expe- Against Disinformation to deliver something new magical technology called writing, it only rience and creativity to the table to develop concrete to citizens. (see Box 3 below for took two-hundred years to tame printing, innovative and new approaches to these more information) resulting in the flourishing of the enlighten- challenges that will be defining our societies ment, said Professor Antonio Loprieno, Presi- for the years to come”. Today it is widely accepted that the digital dent of ALLEA. Today revolution is affecting all aspects of our socie- we are witnessing the Commissioner Mariya ties. But it is also a strategic tool for the third big revolution in Gabriel highlighted empowerment of citizens; It will allow for a communication tech- the European Com- more horizontal organisation of society. So nologies and a big mission’s commit- how can we assess these multi-faceted question remains: ment to address the challenges? To answer these questions, the how long will it take to digital challenges and forum was divided into three main sections: tame these new tech- to develop a Euro- nologies and how will pean approach based a) The first part of the forum aimed at addres- INTRODUCTION they affect our society on our common sing how we can understand the times we live Democracy lives in the and institutional values. It is true that in by recognising the deeper impacts of digital set-up? What structu- digitalization brings technologies on our society and democracy minds of the people res and regulations enormous challen- as a whole; can we put in place to ges, but it also provi- b) The second part aimed at addressing the PROFESSOR MANUEL CASTELLS ensure digital techno- des huge opportuni- impact of digital technologies on values and In this paper we summarise the main outco- logies develop in line ties. In these times, it the issues of truth, trust and expertise; mes of the debate and lay the foundation for with our values, there- makes sense to c) The third part of the conference saw partici- journalism and civil society addressed diffe- the key questions that will form the back-bone fore supporting the remember who we pants break-out into four groups to discuss rent aspects of political legitimation, societal of the “Roadmap for a New Model of the strengthening of our are; to take pride in more in detail specific questions related to the trust, scientific evidence and public discourse Digital Information Ecosystem” that Re-Ima- Europe is in danger. Democracy is in danger. What institutions, regulations and norms can society? our European identity topic: in a rapidly changing media environment gine Europa will be developing over the Our value-system is in danger. The past ten be developed to address the broader societal and values. Echoing under the scientific leadership of Professor coming months and that will be presented in years have been a watershed in the history of issues? How endangered is democracy in a These were some of the previous com- · Citizen Engagement: Digital Solutions in a Manuel Castells. 2020 to the new European Parliament and liberal democracies as we know them. Social digital society? the questions that the ments of President Disenchanted Age and Empowering Citizens Commission. The aim is to build a new Euro- movements have appeared on the global forum on “Democracy Giscard d’Estaing on in the Digital Age Hosted at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy pean model for the digital, including concrete scene questioning the status-quo; The results The arrival on the stage of history of digital in a Digital Society - the Greek agora, the · Disinformation: The Role of the Media in the of Sciences and Humanities, the starting point actions of what should be done at a European of recent elections have defied traditional technologies is cited more often then not as Trust, Evidence and Commissioner under- Digital Information Ecosystem and the Impact of this rich and complex conversation was the level in the coming five years. norms and behaviour; Evidence and facts the cause of the biggest challenges we are Public Discourse in a lined that democracy of Elections central role played by the communication seem to bear little meaning in public discour- facing today. As writing and then printing revo- Changing Media Envi- is the approach we · Regulation: The Ethics of Balancing the ecosystem in a well-functioning society and se where emotions run high and economic lutionized the way societies communicated ronment” wanted to choose to manage all Internet and the Legal and Ethical implications the acceptance that today’s communication and political interests are played-out in an and organized in their time, so digital techno- address. Re-Imagine together the deci- of Data and AI system is broken. Its influence in shaping ever more aggressive fashion. logies are revolutionizing our time. Europa and ALL Euro- sions that go beyond · Narratives: Defining the World and Trust in minds - and thus reality - has been emphasi- pean Academies organised this conference us and, as Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) Governance, Science and Expertise sed by its enormous impact on recent political How do we understand the times we live in? As Baroness O’Neill of Bengarve, Co-chair of together to build on the work developed by said in his Theory of Political and General Will, Considering recent events and the urgency to events, underlining the fact that the control How do we disentangle the complex web of the ALLEA Working Group on Truth, Trust and the ALLEA Working Group Truth, Trust and “we still trust that implying all citizens in the understand these complex relationships, and ownership of the internet is one of the causes and symptoms that lay before us? Expertise and former President of the British Expertise and act as the starting point for making of the common decisions is a value”. renowned speakers from policy, academia, most important battles of our time. Re-Imagine-Europa / ALLEA - All European Academies PAG 5 Academy, reminded us: Socrates (as referred Re-Imagine Europa’s task force on “Democra- She underlined the important initial work done by Plato) thought that “the trouble is that cy in a Digital Society”. by the European Commission these past writing is a technology that allows words to go years, from the creation of a High-Level Expert fatherless into the world, nobody can see who As President Giscard d’Esating expressed, “at Group on Fake News and Online Disinformation, speaks, nobody can see who the author is”.