A panel discussion titled “Democratic Resilience, Hybrid Threats and AI: Safeguarding Democratic Elections” was held within the framework of the Yerevan Dialogue 2026, co-hosted by CAPS (Strategy, Analysis and Policy Planning Centre of Ministry of Foreign Affairs), bringing together international experts and practitioners to explore the intersection of technological developments and democratic security.
The panel discussion was moderated by Tristan Aureau, Director of the Strategy, Analysis and Policy Planning Centre of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France. The Speakers, including Mantas Adomenas, Secretary General of the Community of Democracies of Lithuania, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Maxim Behar, President of the World Communications Forum Association in Bulgaria, Camille Grenier, Executive Director of the Forum on Information and Democracy of France, Justin Poncet, CEO of opsci.ai in France, and Naira Sultanyan, Director of the Democracy Development Foundation of Armenia, focused on the growing influence of artificial intelligence on the information space and its implications for electoral processes. They noted that technological advancements are reshaping communication environments while simultaneously enabling new forms of interference that affect public trust and voter behavior.
Particular attention was paid to the evolution of hybrid threats, including disinformation and AI-enabled manipulation, which increasingly operate in the cognitive domain and directly impact the integrity of democratic processes. Participants highlighted the need for comprehensive responses that combine innovation, regulatory approaches, and strengthened societal resilience.
The discussion underscored that protecting democratic elections requires coordinated efforts among public institutions, the private sector, and civil society, alongside enhanced international cooperation based on shared democratic principles.
