Agenda

The attention of the international policy community is increasingly drawn to impact of general-purpose AI on societies and economies. While this technological progress creates important opportunities for innovation, education and economic development, it also raises significant challenges for information integrity, trust in the digital public sphere, democratic discourse, and even human autonomy. 

Against this backdrop, societies face an urgent question: how can individuals remain informed, and resilient in an AI-driven information environment?

The WSIS+20 Review, concluded at the United Nations General Assembly in December 2025, reaffirmed the global commitment to a people-centered, inclusive and development-oriented information society grounded in human rights. The outcome document highlights that, as digital technologies become deeply embedded in all aspects of social and economic life, the key challenge is no longer only expanding connectivity but ensuring that digital ecosystems remain trustworthy, safe and resilient.

In the meantime, these goals are being tested by the rapid development of generative AI, while it is transforming the information environment at an unprecedented pace. Several emerging risks deserve particular attention: the malicious use of AI to manipulate information, including increasingly sophisticated technologies that are accessible to wide group of people; the use of algorithmic amplification and micro-targeting to target and influence public opinion and split public discourse; social and political biases embedded in training data or algorithms, which may reproduce or reinforce social inequalities and lead to systemic misrepresentation or exclusion of vulnerable and historically underserved groups; the erosion of trust in democratic institutions and digital public spaces as users struggle to distinguish between authentic and synthetic content.

At the same time, general‑purpose AI offers important opportunities to strengthen information ecosystems. AI‑based tools can help detect manipulated or synthetic content, identify coordinated information operations, and support fact‑checking and media verification.  They can also advance media and digital literacy, helping individuals better understand how information is produced, distributed and potentially manipulated online. If developed and deployed responsibly, general‑purpose AI can enhance accessibility, inclusion and participation by improving language access, assistive technologies and information access for persons with disabilities, and by expanding digital access, skills and meaningful participation for women and girls and other underserved communities.

Harnessing these opportunities while mitigating the risks should be a priority for all stakeholders. As countries increasingly adopt AI to drive economic development and innovation, they must also invest in policies and capabilities that safeguard information integrity and empower individuals to critically engage with digital content.