As international elections approach and fears about potential security threats increase, NDI and its partners are leading the way and finding common solutions to the new technology-based challenges that elections are facing. The 7th edition of the Information Integrity Conference (DISICON-7) was a part of this critical effort focused on the intersections of artificial intelligence (AI), online information and electoral integrity. DISICON-7 was held on June 13-14, 2024, in Pristina, Kosovo, and garnered an impressive 311,100 views and interactions across online and social media platforms. Over 300 participants attended the conference in person, underscoring its significance as the largest forum in the Western Balkans addressing the critical challenges of information integrity and artificial intelligence (AI). At DISICON-7, participants sought to address the growing threat that weakened information integrity and rapidly evolving AI poses to democracy. Attendees emphasized the importance of a comprehensive societal approach to protecting the information space and democratic institutions. The conference brought local, regional, and international experts together to discuss how AI can both enhance and undermine democratic processes, paying particular attention to the implications for the upcoming 2024 global elections. The event featured remarks from Jessica Blitt, Ambassador of Canada to Croatia and Kosovo; Jeffrey Hovenier, U.S Ambassador to Kosovo; Tomáš Szunyog, Head of EU Office in Kosovo/EU Special Representative; and Ambassador Nancy Soderberg, Senior Country Director for NDI Kosovo, among others. 

Several important topics dominated the discussion at the conference, one of which was AI's potential for supporting or harming elections. The technology could greatly enhance electoral processes by improving voter registration, vote counting and fraud detection. However, its capacity to spread false information poses significant risks to democratic integrity, highlighting the need for careful oversight. In their remarks and discussions, speakers emphasized the necessity of international collaboration against digital threats, especially as the world faces critical elections in 2024. They noted that the growing misuse of digital technologies and AI-generated media poses significant challenges to securing information integrity. Speakers also cited positive examples of global cooperation, including Canada's G7 Rapid Response Mechanism and the Global Declaration on Information Integrity Online, effectively combating these threats and protecting democratic processes.

Conference discussions also emphasized that weakening information integrity poses a significant political and security challenge to the broader international rule-based order. It undermines democratic institutions and erodes public trust, making it a critical issue for global stability. Exacerbating this threat, authoritarian and illiberal leaders are attempting to weaken democracy and the liberal world order. This shift is part of a new and dangerous strategy that requires a coordinated response from the international community.

Aside from these discussions, DISICON-7 featured the launch of the Second Vulnerability Index of Disinformation in Kosovo by Albana Rexha, Senior Policy Analyst at Democracy Plus. Building on the First Vulnerability Index of Disinformation of Kosovo published in 2022, the Second Index revealed concerning trends in three domains: Media Environment, Political Landscape, and Public Attitudes. The Second Index also introduced two new critical domains: Gender-Based and Inter-Ethnic misleading information. On the Index, higher scores indicate that a country’s information integrity is more vulnerable, while low scores indicate it is secure. Kosovo scored 57 out of 100 overall for its susceptibility to misleading information in each of the five domains, highlighting the country’s vulnerability to foreign malign influence. Kosovo also scored 58.6 out of 100 for gender-based misleading information, revealing the significant risks facing women in the public sphere. For its worst-performing domain, inter-ethnic misleading information, Kosovo received a score of 69 out of 100, highlighting the persistent challenges stemming from tense relations between Albanians and Serbs in Kosovo. The report emphasized how foreign actors exploit these tensions through false information campaigns, deepening divisions and threatening regional stability.

In addition to DISICON-7, organizers also held another DISIConnect, an extension of the conference to foster collaboration through workshops, networking, and training sessions. Participants, including representatives from local and regional media, engaged in discussions on leveraging AI for good, developing strategies to counter misleading information, and ensuring the integrity of elections. The event reinforced DISICON's commitment to addressing the most pressing challenges in information integrity, offering actionable insights for policymakers, tech companies, civil society, and other stakeholders committed to safeguarding democracy in the Balkans and beyond. 

NDI’s engagement with this program is implemented with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Authors: NDI Kosovo team

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NDI is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organization that works in partnership around the world to strengthen and safeguard democratic institutions, processes, norms and values to secure a better quality of life for all. NDI envisions a world where democracy and freedom prevail, with dignity for all.