This was the theme of a conference organised jointly by Catalonia International and the Delegation of the Government of Catalonia to the United States and Canada

Yesterday afternoon, a conference organised by Catalonia International and the Delegation of the Government of Catalonia to the United States and Canada took place at the Casa Convalescència on the UAB Campus in Barcelona. The event, led by Laura Pous Trull, a journalist at the Catalan News Agency, debated the impact of disinformation and fake news in electoral processes, which is one of today's most pressing issues. 

Opening the session, the Secretary-General of Catalonia International, Laura Foraster y Lloret, explained how artificial intelligence has facilitated new forms of manipulation, such as deepfakes, which pose a threat to confidence in democracy. She also referred to the need for collective responsibility to combat disinformation, preserve social cohesion and uphold institutional integrity, stressing the importance of cooperation between governments, institutions, and civil society and highlighting the vital role of media education, particularly during election years.

Next, the recently appointed Clelia Colombo Vilarrasa, Director General of Foreign Action for the Government of Catalonia, said that we are at a crucial juncture in which alignment with the European project in a multipolar world is more important than ever. She warned that technologies have facilitated the presence of mass disinformation, particularly during electoral processes, and that social networks are increasing polarisation, leading to a worrying loss of control over truthfulness, especially during election periods.  She also suggested that democratic governments should take proactive measures and invite citizens to participate in verification processes. Colombo sees Catalonia as a pioneer in the responsible use of artificial intelligence and highlighted some of the strategies it uses to combat disinformation and ensure that human rights are respected, such as the Catalan Ethics Observatory.

Sebastian Becker Castellaro, the head of the Digitalisation and Democracy programme and an expert on disinformation and democracy at the intergovernmental organisation International IDEA, provided an initial theoretical overview of the topic. According to Becker, in today's attention economy, banned or controversial content attracts more public interaction, which then fuels the spread of disinformation and the erosion of democratic values. As businesses aren't driven by these values but by their business models, understanding market dynamics is crucial for governments. He also stressed that the combination of automated ads, algorithms and the increasing use of artificial intelligence leads users down rabbit holes that foster radicalisation.

The second speech was given by Klimentini Diakomanoli from the European Commission's Strategic Communication Working Group, who explained how misinformation often affects EU policies, such as migration. Since January 2024, the Directorate-General for Communication and its working group have been working to detect, monitor and respond to threats. Among these threats, he mentioned some that have persisted over time, such as Covid-related health issues, and some that are recurrent but short-lived, such as the discrediting of electoral processes ahead of an election. Diakomanoli concluded by talking about the need for immediate responses, long-term education, and the policy guidelines set out by Von der Leyen for the 2024-29 period.

The final part of the conference consisted of a round table discussion with experts and professionals and an open debate with the audience. The participants included Carme Colomina Saló, a senior research fellow specialising in the European Union, disinformation and global politics at the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB); Kayleen Devlin, a senior journalist at BBC Verify; Alba Tobella Mayans, journalist, co-founder and director of Verificat; Gabriel López Serrano, Director of Institutional Relations and Regulatory Affairs at Microsoft Ibérica; and Alexandre López Borrull,  an associate professor in Information and Communication Sciences for the Open University of Catalonia (UOC).

Colomina described disinformation as a pervasive social reality that can be especially harmful to electoral processes. She pointed out the pivotal role of digital platforms, which operate under their own business models, and emphasised the need to cultivate a critical mindset and improve our approach to labelling and verifying content. Additionally, she cautioned that disinformation frequently comes from internal sources, including political parties and traditional media outlets, not just from external actors.

The BBC's model was the focus of Devlin's address, which centred on transparency and the critical need to involve the public as a central component of the fight against disinformation. The transparency of the algorithms is key, she said, because you don't need sophisticated content to spread disinformation.  Devlin stressed that beyond the tools required to detect fake news, there needs to be a focus on analysing the algorithms and understanding how the information is propagated to ensure that technology companies shoulder their share of the responsibility.

Tobella argued that we exist in parallel worlds, where political communication has become fragmented and our ability to listen has been disrupted. She agreed with Devlin on the outdated notion of being informed, arguing that we often have little understanding of the context and algorithms that dictate what we consume. She warned that disinformation muddies the waters of freedom of expression and insisted on the need to differentiate fact from opinion, as politicians often act as influencers of disinformation.

López Borrull provided a more academic perspective and explained that the main goal of disinformation is to legitimise mistrust rather than the facts themselves, as was evident in the Trump campaign in the United States. He stressed the importance of creating trustworthy online communities that can meet the demand for reliable information. According to López Borrull, artificial intelligence has a tendency to standardise responses, and social networks are no longer just platforms but active participants in the spread of human-generated disinformation. Consequently, there is a need for an actor recognised by all parties to ensure transparency and accountability. He also noted that disinformation doesn't just affect elections; it is a constant presence in our daily lives, acting as a social thermometer.

Lastly, from Microsoft, López Serrano pointed out that quality journalism is costly and finding well-trained journalists can be challenging. He also underlined the importance of making people more aware of the influence of artificial intelligence by providing tools that tell them when it's being used. Additionally, he pointed out that the concept of freedom of expression differs between the US and the EU and stressed the need for a global framework to provide a better understanding of the phenomenon. He concluded by emphasising Microsoft's critical stance and the importance of having tools that can detect artificial intelligence and ensure compliance with the established rules.

The day before, both Sebastian Becker and Kayleen Devlin participated in a meeting with a group of Catalonia International Alumni, the network that brings together former grantees of the Consortium, those who completed the Executive Master in Diplomacy and Foreign Action (MDAE) and those who have done an internship.