"At the end of 2024, we will know whether democracy survives or dies".
The harsh words come from Maria Ressa, journalist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2021. The background to her concern is the rapid development of AI, deep-fakes and social media.
When major countries such as India, the United States and Great Britain go to the polls this year, they do so in the same vein as powerful AI tools that can distort reality become mainstream.
And several AI experts are now warning of the consequences.
- We will see an increase in misinformation due to AI, says computer scientist Dame Wendy Hall to Sky News.
Half the world is holding elections
In 76 countries around the world, elections are scheduled for 2024. That is more than ever in one and the same year in history, according to a calculation made by the media company The Economist.
During the year, people vote in eight out of ten of the world's most populous countries – Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, Russia and the United States.
But according to a report from the Sweden-based think tank International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, IDEA, "democracy is retreating in every part of the world" for the sixth year in a row.
- With this super election year, we have the opportunity to start turning the democratic development in a positive direction, says Anna Sundström, secretary general at the Olof Palme International Center.
See what's at stake in the "super election year" of 2024 in the video above.