2019 - World Leadership Alliance - Club de Madrid

Around 35 Members of World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid (WLA-CdM), all democratic former Heads of State and Government, will join representatives from governments, civil society, academia and tech companies in a discussion to define policy solutions that address the challenges of digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI) in our societies. Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President of WLA-CdM and former President of Latvia, warns of the big governance challenges that the technological transformation brings along, while also acknowledging its great opportunities. With this in mind, WLA-CdM has partnered with the IE School of Global & Public Affairs in the organization of its 2019 Policy Dialogue titled'Digital Transformation and the Future of Democracy: How can Artificial Intelligence Drive Democratic Governance?' "The rise of AI will change our societies in ways researchers are only beginning to examine, and democratic governments simply cannot afford to lag behind. We must govern the technological game before it governs us, not through censorship or trying to stop innovation, but by acquiring competencies and a better understanding of how AI could work for us", says President Vike-Freiberga. AI is set to bring about a radical transformation that will disrupt economic and social trends, raise new ethical dilemmas and change the existing balance of power between states. At a time of growing inequality and wide-spread mistrust of institutions, democracies will need to work out AI's rollout in our societies without giving up on their foundational values.