Advanced AI is already transforming society, and is likely to bring even more profound changes to our economic, political, cultural, and associative lives in the future. With these changes come obvious threats. Among the most profound is its potential to undermine democratic freedoms—including at least the civil and political liberties that democracies protect, and the basic right to stable and functioning democratic institutions.

In partnership with the Knight Institute’s Senior AI Advisor Seth Lazar, the Institute will examine the risks that advanced artificial intelligence systems pose to democratic freedoms, to discuss sociotechnical as well as technical interventions to mitigate these risks, and to identify ways in which these systems may be employed to support democracy.

The project will culminate in a major symposium to be held April 10-11, 2025, at Columbia University and online.