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Australian Electoral Commission
With disinformation, deepfakes and the rise of AI making news, international experts in democracy met last week at the Australian National University’s National Security College for a timely discussion on the future of electoral integrity and trust.
Australian Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers said the two-day forum included electoral commissioners from around Australia, as well as Sweden, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, and a number of countries from across the Pacific.
“The AEC has always gained incredible value from engaging with international audiences, including other electoral administrators and democratic institutions,” Mr Rogers said.
“This event provided a rare opportunity to meet face to face with a number of international colleagues and discuss shared challenges of mis- and disinformation, truth in advertising, and other relevant electoral issues.”
Video: Panel on the future of electoral integrity
Capping off the forum was a public panel focusing on the future of electoral integrity, featuring a range of experts on democratic systems, public administration, and disinformation – a topic with disappointing but increasing relevance for electoral administrators.
“It’s simply not feasible to ignore this stuff – electoral administrators like the AEC are really on the bleeding edge when it comes to disinformation, and there’s a pressing need for us to share our experiences and learn from one another,” Mr Rogers said.
“The threat of electoral disinformation is not new, but as we’ve all seen the increasing availability of AI tools to create deepfakes or influence public debate are changing our understanding of what’s possible on an almost daily basis.”
Speaking at the opening of the public forum, Mr Rogers reiterated his call for greater investment in digital literacy for Australian voters, as well as for voters around the world.
“Globally, highly charged political environments, decreased levels of trust in government institutions and an evolving electoral threat landscape, driven at least in part by breathtaking advances in technology, are creating challenges for electoral management bodies that we've never previously seen,” Mr Rogers said.
“In Australia, and I know for some of our overseas colleagues, electoral administrators are leading the agenda in these matters.”
The conference was hosted by the Australian National University’s National Security College, in partnership with the Australian Electoral Commission and International IDEA, an intergovernmental organisation with a focus on supporting democracy worldwide.
It was the fourth event held as part of a broader Canberra Series on Electoral Integrity, run by the Australian Electoral Commission in partnership with International IDEA – and the first event to be held in person.
The AEC acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters, culture and community. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.