New democratic commitments in the era of AI

By Franco Piccato

Imagine the year 2035. Mobile phones have vanished, replaced by virtual reality devices. Millions of minds are interconnected through brain chips. Artificial intelligence has transformed much of the work we once knew. This is the future, but it’s almost today. 

In the era of platform capitalism, the challenge of distinguishing truth from falsehood becomes monumental. In a world where every person could have their own personalized reality, building a shared reality is more crucial than ever to address our collective problems. As Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa warns: “Without facts, there is no truth. Without truth, there is no trust. Without trust, there is no democracy.” Argentina’s current scenario illustrates this crossroads. So far in 2024, we have witnessed an unprecedented ecosystem where political actors, troll armies, and social media influencers feed off one another to amplify and distort content at lightning speeds. The line between reality and post-truth becomes increasingly blurred.

Misinformation has become one of the greatest global risks (World Economic Forum, 2024). It is no longer just a problem of fake news; it is a tool of power used to distort public debate, polarize communities, and erode trust in institutions. According to a recent Voices survey, 52% of Argentines believe they encounter false news every day or almost every day, and 76% see misinformation as a threat to democracy. These figures reveal a crisis of trust that erodes the foundations of our shared life.

Faced with this reality, fact-checking is consolidating its role as a fundamental pillar to provide evidence in public debate, and technology can also be a powerful ally of truth. However, empowering citizens to exercise critical thinking about the content they consume will be key to navigating uncertainty and improving the quality of public discourse.

The magnitude of the challenge demands a collective response: no single organization, discipline, or sector can tackle the misinformation crisis or the breakdown of trust alone. That is why it is essential to work in networks with educators who shape critical citizens, academics who research the impacts of misinformation, civic leaders who mobilize their communities, and technologists who develop tools to combat misinformation. This collaboration is not optional—it is the only way to build a robust ecosystem of reliable information. When university professors incorporate fact-checking into their curricula, community organizations learn to detect false content, programmers develop algorithms to identify deepfakes, and journalists adopt rigorous fact-checking protocols, we strengthen a network of communities committed to the truth. Accurate information is not just a resource for better decision-making—it is the foundation for understanding and transforming reality.

The future we imagine is not set in stone. It lies in every decision we make today. That is why we propose four fundamental commitments: to be tireless ambassadors of verified information, to foster critical thinking (through media literacy programs), to support evidence-based public interest journalism, and to demand transparency and access to data at all levels of government, from all states, and from all technological platforms.

Democracy cannot wait. In a world that moves increasingly fast, we must rebuild social trust with more empowered citizens, free and independent media to hold power accountable, and positive incentives on social media that promote content integrity instead of degradation. To forge more open and plural societies, it is imperative to rebuild public debate on the foundation of reliable information. And more than ever, we need a critical citizenry capable of distinguishing truth from falsehood. This is not a luxury—it is a democratic necessity.