SEOUL: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has termed disinformation and fake news based on Artificial Intelligence and digital technology threats to democracy, as Seoul hosted a gathering of senior world officials including from the EU, the US and Britain.
Speaking at the opening of the Summit for Democracy, Yoon Suk Yeol said nations had a duty to share wisdom and experiences so that AI and technology could be employed to support and promote democracy.
Technological difference among nations is a major issue, Yoon added, describing it as a root case of how some nations fall behind in economic prosperity and fail to make growth on democracy.
He said that disinformation and fake news based on AI and digital technology not only violates human rights and individual freedom but also threatens democratic systems.
S Korea’s President Warns of Tech Threat to Democracy
Seoul is hosting the third Summit for Democracy conference, an initiative of the US President aimed at discussing means to stop democratic lapsing and erosion of freedoms.
On his part, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said as authoritarian and repressive government deploy technologies to undermine human rights and democracy, therefore, “We need to safeguard that technology sustains and supports democratic norms and values.”
Blinken said that like-minded governments and their people are working together to promote free and fair polls, saying that safeguarding democracy was a shared effort. Neither US Secretary of State and South Korean President mentioned any leaders or countries by name.
Reuters reported that European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova said 2024 is an election year across the world and quoted threats such as disinformation campaigns from Russia among other actors. Moscow has repeatedly rejected accusations of spreading misleading information.
