As part of the Yerevan Dialogue Forum, a panel discussion titled “Democratic Resilience, Hybrid Threats, and AI: Safeguarding Democratic Elections” took place, co-hosted by CAPS.
The speakers included:
- Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya,
- Mantas Adomėnas, Secretary General of the Community of Democracies,
- Tatjana Macura, Serbia’s Minister without Portfolio in Charge of Gender Equality,
- Maxim Behar, President of the World Communications Forum Association.
The Director of the Centre for Analysis, Planning, and Strategy at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Tristan Auer, moderated the discussion.
Participants discussed how democracies can counter hybrid threats intensified by the development of artificial intelligence — through coordination in security, governance, and strengthening societal resilience.
In her remarks, Ms. Tsikhanouskaya noted that in Belarus, technology became a key tool of resistance in 2020. At the same time, she stressed that authoritarian regimes have also learned to use AI and digital tools to their advantage. She therefore emphasized cooperation with tech companies and their responsibility in countering propaganda:
“In today’s environment, technology companies can no longer remain neutral and must consciously decide which side they are on. They must choose either to strengthen democracy or to allow dictatorships to use these tools without constraints”.
