The future of emerging technologies and their integration into societies is heavily debated and is shaped by the level of trust between institutions, the public, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Prioritizing transparency and security is essential for navigating and surviving the digital age. The moderator, Gonzalo Diéguez, is the Executive Director of the Center of Advocacy and Global Growth (CAGG), where he finances and provides technical assistance to European and UN think tank projects. Diéguez describes the importance of “transparency of algorithm” in protecting privacy, combating fake news, and spreading misinformation and hate speech. Diéguez emphasizes the development of AI could become a “double-edged sword that can weaken democracy” and he believes the future cooperation between China, the United States, and Europe is crucial for ensuring the beneficial direction of AI.

Gabriela Ramirez Rey is a journalist, researcher, and founder of Gabriela Ramirez AB who specializes in gender equity, digital communications strategy, and technology. Ramirez Rey emphasizes the importance of including more women in cybersecurity so that frameworks and pathways are created for women. Women’s inclusion in cyber security is the first step to changing “cybersecurity into cyber defense.” As a journalist, Ramirez Rey identifies complications with the state of journalism: lack of trust, funding, and focus. There is a lack of trust in journalism; journals are no longer the first place people go for news with the increasing popularity of social media platforms. Journals have become consumed by the need for clicks and followers, which has led journals to lose their “original oath” to work for the people and their countries. Ramirez Rey believes that journalists have a responsibility to return to “protect[ing] what is true” after losing their way in the numbers. This protection is integral to fighting fake news, AI-generated content, and popular confusion. Securing the internet and digital literacy are democratic acts crucial to surviving the digital age.

Trisha Ray is an Associate Director and Resident Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s GeoTech Center, specializing in the intersection of geopolitical and security trends with emerging technologies. There are three lenses to view AI, economic values, security risks including those enabled by AI, national risks and cyber attacks, and socio-political factors. Trust within society is essential to integrating emerging technologies and strengthening institutions and society’s relationship with AI. Under the CCP, there are many “wide-ranging and reaching guidelines” regulating generative AI because the CCP believes AI is a threat to be controlled. The US alternatively has no national law regulating AI beyond a Biden administration Executive Order, offering more transparency than the CCP. Americans, however, are becoming less trusting over time with their institutions, and fact-checking isn’t combatting anecdotal evidence. Ray identifies a possible future with quantum internet and computers. However, quantum computers currently experience high error and low scalability. Additionally, there are ongoing debates about whether quantum computers will be a “net positive or negative,” which delays their practical use for at least another decade.

Karen Mukwasi is the co-founder and director of The Pada Platform, which specializes in promoting women’s and girl’s rights through ICT and media in Zimbabwe. Mukwasi focuses on reducing the gender gap in technology in Zimbabwe, which is faced with limited data. Internet Society in Africa is becoming more accessible and affordable to Africans. It now encompasses departments dedicated to digital inclusion and digital literacy. Africa is experiencing heavy polarization in journalism, leading to misinformation. Journalism moved to WhatsApp due to its affordability and accessibility during COVID-19.

The platform is “becoming a credible news channel” in mainstream media, falling on a population that doesn’t have the technical fluency to fact-check its news. A major concern of citizens is that they do not have enough information to do their due diligence to distinguish between credible sources of information.
Digital inclusion and digital literacy are the two foremost focuses in Africa. Digital literacy strategies and networks are focused on educating young people, which must extend to include older people who are still in the workforce without technical expertise.

The discussion between the speakers highlights the importance of understanding and protecting the relationship between AI and society. All the speakers agree that prioritizing trust between the public, institutions, and AI is crucial to the success of digital transformation. Digital literacy and digital inclusion initiatives are evermore important to combat increasing fake news, misinformation, and hate speech. Overall, the discussion underscores the importance of the models and avenues of integrating emerging technologies in societies and highlights societal reluctance because of lack of trust and transparency.