Future of Democracy was initiated in 2021 by AI Sweden and Medier och Democracy with the aim of gathering and creating a platform for cross-sectoral knowledge of digitization, technology, innovation, and democracy. The first summit was held in October 2021 focusing on how technology could ensure equitable care and welfare across Sweden and what measures are necessary to safeguard citizens' privacy and trust in the digitalization process.
"We gathered in a small group in November, and I raised the question: Will we want to discuss AI and democracy once again? Then Chat-GPT arrived and astonished the world. AI has transitioned from being a topic for the most informed individuals to becoming a household discussion in the past six months. It has never felt more relevant to talk about technological advancement and democracy. Our starting point was also the twin transition, namely the green and digital transformations. With several recent and concerning climate reports in the past six months, it was natural to address both perspectives, particularly because technological development is a prerequisite for successfully addressing the climate transition" says Karin Hübinette, Project Manager for Future of Democracy.
The format of the summit consisted of lectures and was mixed with roundtable discussions.
Partners to Future of Democracy Summit 2023 are AI Sweden, Medier och Democracy, Västragötalandsregionen, Gothenburg University, Microsoft, Google, Internetstiftelsen and Singula.