The Central Election Commission of Georgia hosts 13th Annual Meeting of Election Management Bodies. The main topic of the conference is “Disinformation Strategies, Artificial Intelligence and the Role of Social Networks in Information Integrity”.

Giorgi Kalandarishvili, the CEC Chairperson officially opened the international conference. Archil Gorduladze, Chair of the Legal Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, Davit Matikashvili, Chair of the Procedural Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, Levan Ioseliani, the Public Defender of Georgia and the Chair of the Communications Commission of Georgia, Goga Gulordava addressed to the participants and made opening remarks at the conference.

Over the course of two days, participants of the international conference will discuss a range of key issues, including the impact of disinformation on electoral processes; disinformation as a policy challenge: mechanisms, driving factors, and impact; the role of artificial intelligence and social networks in electoral processes: opportunities and risks; and the role of information and education in countering disinformation. As noted during the opening of the conference by the Chairperson of the CEC, Giorgi Kalandarishvili, the international conference has made a significant contribution to the formation of an international professional network based on mutual trust, cooperation, and shared responsibility in safeguarding democratic values.

“The Central Election Commission traditionally, for the thirteenth time, is hosting the International Conference of Election Administrations, within the framework of which the discussions, exchange of professional experience, and review of practices from different countries will make a significant contribution both to strengthening our institutions and to ensuring information resilience and the protection of democratic processes. This year, we have selected as the main theme of our meeting: “Disinformation strategies, artificial intelligence, and the role of social networks in ensuring information integrity”. These issues are particularly relevant in today’s world, where the development of digital technologies has significantly transformed the processes of creating, disseminating, and receiving information. On the one hand, artificial intelligence and social networks create new opportunities to enhance access to information and increase citizen engagement, while on the other hand, they increase the risks of disinformation, manipulation, and influence on public opinion. That is precisely why it is important for election administrations, state institutions, and international partners to jointly address these challenges and develop effective approaches to safeguard information reliability and democratic processes,” said the CEC Chairperson at the opening of the conference.

The conference is being held on June 17–18 and brings together representatives of election administrations from 23 countries, international organizations working on electoral issues, and companies specializing in electoral technologies (A-WEB, Smartmatic). The conference is also attended by representatives of Georgia’s legislative body, state institutions, the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, and the Supreme Election Commission.