Democracy in the age of Artificial Intelligence

"The classic problem of democracy—how to protect against the abuses of public powers—has gained a new chapter: how to bring digital oligarchies in line with the values of Western democracies," writes Luciano Violante in his preface to the book by Oreste Pollicino and Pietro Dunn, Intelligenza artificiale e democrazia: opportunità e rischi di disinformazione e discriminazione (Artificial intelligence and democracy: Opportunities and risks of disinformation and discrimination) (Bocconi University Press, 2024).

In a world where we spend, on average, 6 hours and 37 minutes per day online and where the seven largest tech companies generate revenue close to the GDP of the entire European continent, the rise of disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence makes it even more evident that "we have an urgent need to rethink our views on the human condition in the digital environment by developing a theory of limits and transparency regarding this power, which allows us to fully benefit from it while preserving our freedoms of thought and choice," Violante continues.

The relationship between new technologies, particularly generative artificial intelligence, and democratic values provides a unique lens for exploring the current conditions of the rule of law, not only in the digital context. Focusing on this relationship, the book highlights one of the most intriguing challenges of contemporary constitutionalism.

Democratic states and international and supranational legal organizations must face the challenge—both in terms of potential benefits and significant risks—of a complex technological tool like artificial intelligence, which can, at least in appearance, operate without the so-called human factor. As a result, it seems to bypass the necessary balancing of opposing interests and rights that, in a rule of law system, cannot be delegated to any form of automation.

These investigative coordinates serve as the compass for Pollicino and Dunn's study, which, supported by empirical data, aims to clarify a key issue for Western democracies, focusing on the privileged arenas of the fight against disinformation on one hand, and the protection of the principle of non-discrimination on the other.

"The main strength of this volume lies in its ability to tackle, with rare expertise, exceptional clarity, and a rich array of case studies, the key constitutional issues raised by the digital environment, developing in that context the rights codified by Article 2 of the Treaty on the EU: pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity, and equality between men and women," concludes Violante.

Publisher: Bocconi University Press 

Publication date: September 2024 

ISBN: 979-12-80623-33-1 

Pages: 240 

Format: print, digital

For more information and to purchase this book (in Italian), CLICK HERE.

ORESTE POLLICINO, in addition to teaching at SDA Bocconi School of Management, is a Full Professor of Constitutional Law and Media Law at Bocconi University, where he also directs the LL.M. in Law of Internet Technology.

PIETRO DUNN holds a PhD in Law, Science, and Technology from the University of Bologna and the University of Luxembourg.