The participants at the 3rd Dialogue-Seminar on Elections and Democracy in Africa, held on Tuesday in Rabat, discussed the issue of the digitalization of democracy on the African continent.
Jointly initiated by the Policy Center for the New South (PCNS) and the African Union Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security
(AU-PAPS), the 3rd Dialogue-Seminar on Elections and Democracy in Africa provided an opportunity to examine in-depth the challenges of
the digitalization of democracy in Africa, as well as how young people can use AI and new technologies to contribute to the continent’s
development.
PCNS Executive President Karim El Aynaoui emphasized during the meeting that elections constitute “the most effective means of easing
tensions and serving the general interest of societies.”
For his part, the African Union (AU) Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Bankole Adeoye, noted that “digitalization is no longer a future trend, but a forceful reality for promoting democracy on the continent.”
While new technologies offer tremendous opportunities, particularly in terms of transparency, there also raise numerous challenges related to disinformation, he stated, calling for collective action to address these challenges.
He believes it is essential to adapt training to the new digital realities to equip young people with the necessary tools to distinguish fact from fiction.
While reaffirming the AU’s commitment to strengthening democracy in Africa, Mr. Bankole mentioned the establishment of an African
Democracy Index, which could provide credible data to media outlets and digital platforms, while also enabling better anticipation of the
challenges posed by new technologies.
The opening session of this meeting was followed by a panel analyzing the impact of generative AI and deepfakes on societies in general, and on citizens’ trust in institutions in particular.
The panel discussions explored citizens’ relationship to information in a world saturated with content, where detecting misinformation and
deepfakes has become difficult.
According to the speakers, AI is a double-edged sword: it can strengthen democracy if used properly, but also represent a real threat if misused.
Emphasis was placed on the need to promote scientific research in the field of AI in order to develop smarter solutions, as well as on taking concerted action to raise awareness of the responsible use of digital technologies.
AK/te/Sf/fss/gik/APA