On October 1, 2025, Safer Internet Lab (SAIL) was invited to a webinar titled “Safeguarding Democracy and Elections in the Age of AI.” In light of the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in reshaping governance, the webinar aimed to address AI’s dual impact on democratic processes, civic and political participation, and electoral integrity. The discussion also examined the significant risks posed by AI when used for mass surveillance, disinformation, and repression, particularly in authoritarian contexts. In addition, the event presented practical frameworks for AI governance.The webinar was organized under the Team Europe Democracy (TED) initiative, a global thematic Team Europe Initiative (TEI) launched in December 2021 by Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen to promote democracy and human rights worldwide.The event opened with remarks by Jakob Rieken from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). This was followed by two key presentations:

• “Safeguarding Democracy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” by Barbora Bukovska (ARTICLE 19)
• “Safeguarding Democracy: EU Development at the Nexus of Elections, Information Integrity, and Artificial Intelligence” by Thijs Heinmaa (I-IDEA)

Representing SAIL, Alia Yofira Karunian, our Research Associate, joined the panel to respond to the presentations and shared insights on the intersection of AI and information disorder in Indonesia. She spoke about how AI is being used (particularly by online buzzers) for generating and distributing mis/disinformation, as well as the ongoing need for regulatory reform in this space.In the end, Alia emphasized the importance of continued efforts in:

• Building local capacity and digital literacy
• Strengthening media integrity
• Promoting research and knowledge exchange