Prof. Dr. Claes de Vreese (Universiteit van Amsterdam):
Abstract
Democracies are based on exchange, debate and discussion about goals, approaches and solutions. What tasks need to be solved, what does the sovereign want? In parliamentary democracies, this decision-making takes place within the framework of elections. In mediatized societies in particular, the media and intermediaries have played a central role in the discourse for a long time. They provide spaces for discussion and allow people to make themselves heard and be heard. However, they also have a great responsibility in terms of which topics and which actors are given (a lot of) time and space. New players are emerging with the advent of generative AI. The impact is huge but still largely unknown. Against this backdrop, the lecture explores the question of how (generative) AI can/will change and reshape the discourse on elections and democracy.
