Time: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm CET

Main session 2 – Cyber interference with democracy

Cyber interference with democracy” refers to the use of information and communication technologies to manipulate or undermine democratic institutions, processes, or public trust in governance. Elections are at the core of democracy. Interference with elections through malicious cyber activities undermines free, fair and clean elections and trust. It may target computers and data used as well as officials and candidates participating in elections and election campaigns, and involve information operations, the misuse of social media, evading transparency, circumventing rules on elections and political finances, and other activities. Such threats have been experienced in particular since 2014. In 2019, the Cybercrime Convention Committee (T-CY) adopted a Guidance Note on election interference with a focus on criminal law aspects. In 2024/2025, the challenge of cyber interference compromising elections has again come to the forefront in multiple countries.  The purpose of this session is to identify:

• the different types of malicious actions and actors involved in cyber interference with democracy;
• the rules and laws that are being violated;
• the measures needed to prevent and respond to such cyber interference in accordance with principles of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

CDT Featured Speaker:

• Isabel Linzer, Elections and Democracy Fellow

More Information

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Time:​ 6:00 – 9:00 pm

All Tech Is Human is coming back to DC! We hope you can join us for a 200-person gathering dedicated to the evolving world of Trust & Safety, understanding the tech policy landscape, and strengthening multistakeholder collaboration.

​LEARN ABOUT ALL TECH IS HUMAN’S PROCESS HERE

​Our organization brings together individuals across civil society, government, industry, and academia to surface important values, tensions, tradeoffs, and best practices as we co-create a tech future aligned with the public interest. This upcoming gathering will feature two panel conversations (evolving field of Trust & Safety, tech policy), and ample time for you to share your knowledge and build community with others involved in the Responsible Tech ecosystem.

​Please note: because of demand, our organization can not accommodate every request for attendance and participation. We sift through requests to put together a good mix of Trust & Safety professionals, researchers, civil society orgs, major tech companies, key startups, and more.

​This gathering is made possible with the collaboration and support of Resolver. In addition, our non-profit receives funding from major foundations that see the value in our work laying he relational infrastructure for the Responsible Tech ecosystem, developing a sandbox for multistakeholder collaboration and solution-making, and a method for quickly distributing concepts across our extensive network.

CDT Featured Speaker:

• Aliya Bhatia, Senior Policy Analyst

More Information

​About All Tech Is Human

​All Tech Is Human moves at the speed of tech while tackling the world’s thorniest tech & society issues. With a network of over 50k individuals across civil society, government, industry, and academia, our organization is committed to collective understanding, involvement, and action. Through our whole-of-ecosystem approach and three pillars of activities (community-building, educational resources, careers), All Tech Is Human surfaces important values, tensions, trade-offs, and best practices to co-create a tech future aligned with the public interest.

​Noted activities include our curated gatherings (NYC, SF, DC, London), Slack community of over 12k members across 107 countries, our popular Responsible Tech Job Board, and our yearly Responsible Tech Guide that has defined the field and seeded the next generation of organizations and leaders.

The post Responsible Tech DC: The Future of Trust and Safety appeared first on Center for Democracy and Technology.

Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Following the successful collaboration between All Tech Is Human and the Consulate General of Finland New York in last year’s Strengthening the Information Ecosystem curated gathering, we are starting to assemble a gathering to be held on Wednesday, May 21st. The curated gathering will be for 75 key individuals across civil society, government, industry, and academia who are focused on strengthening multistakeholder collaboration in Responsible AI.

The gathering on May 21st in Manhattan will be held from 3 to 8:30pm; there will be two panel conversations and opening remarks held at the Finnish Consulate, to be followed by a reception at the Finnish Residence. Demand for attendance greatly exceeds capacity, so please let us know about your interest and involvement related to multistakeholder collaboration in Responsible AI.

We currently have participants from Amazon, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Center for Democracy & Technology, Cohere, Columbia University, Data & Society Research Institute, Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas (DDIA), Future of Privacy Forum, Georgetown University, Humane Intelligence, IBM, Integrity Institute, Intel, KPMG, Mastercard, Meta, Microsoft, Mozilla Foundation, Northeastern University, Pinterest, Princeton University, Salesforce, Schmidt Futures, TikTok, United Nations, YouTube, and more.

Panel 1: Aligning Transatlantic AI Governance in a Shifting Regulatory Landscape
As political landscapes shift, the future of AI governance hangs in the balance. This panel aims to explore the evolving regulatory and standard-setting frameworks governing AI across the transatlantic sphere, assessing the intersections and divergences in differing approaches to risk classifications, liability structures, and compliance standards. How will existing agreements bridge gaps in global AI governance and foster regulatory interoperability to prevent a fragmented tech ecosystem? What are potential strategies for maintaining hard-won progress in responsible AI development across the globe? The discussion will critically examine the implications of a new political administration directing the U.S. approach to AI governance and will highlight the need to safeguard rights-respecting and democratic standards in the balancing act of governance.

Panel 2: The Role of Civil Society and Research in Shaping Responsible AI Policy
As AI governance frameworks develop globally, civil society organizations and research institutions play a crucial role in ensuring AI systems align with ethical standards, such as transparency and accountability. How will this sector’s leadership role shift as the global AI landscape shifts? How can civil society partner with industry to align incentives with broader societal priorities in order to mitigate some of the worst potential harms of AI? How can civil society effectively pressure AI model developers to address critical threats, including chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear risks, as well as mitigate the risk of increased cybersecurity vulnerabilities? This panel will also highlight the opportunities to grow civil society’s impact in the AI policymaking process, including strategies for fostering greater collaboration between U.S., EU, UK, and Canadian policymakers and global civil society actors.

CDT Featured Speaker:

• Miranda Bogen, Director, CDT AI Governance Lab

RSVP

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Date: May 21–23, 2025

The European Union has produced digital legislation at an astonishing rate, both regulating to control existing technological phenomena – such as AI – and to shape specific social constructs built upon technical phenomena – such as the European Health Data Space. Perhaps more than ever, EU digital frameworks are expected to cast regulatory shadows across the world.

However, while the Brussels effect may have proliferated specific privacy and data protection practices worldwide, it also risks reinforcing existing global power dynamics. Stringent EU data export rules can, for example, hinder the competitiveness of the Global South. Besides, many other actors shape digitalisation in very different ways, especially in times of geopolitical change. In such a context, can we expect the norm-setting, global influence of European legislation in the data protection and privacy fields to be paralleled and even strengthened in related digital legislation areas?

The Brussels effect of AI regulation may be blunted by the complexity and diversity of the governance arrangements that are created through political processes at many levels, from the local to the global. These may cut across the high aims and stringent rules adopted in Brussels, and lead to a false sense of security and lack of public confidence in the safeguarding of information rights and other values in an AI driven world. Challenges for privacy and data protection are complicated further by surveillance and data grabbing practices that constrain policymakers, industry and other digital actors. Consumer expectations and technological innovations also have a role to play. To navigate these complexities, perhaps more than ever, and in more than one way, legislators, governments, regulators, data protection officers, civil society, industry and academia across the globe are watching the digital world, and each other.

Panel: the DSA as a tool in the fight against gender-based violence

Gender-based violence keeps being a major problem online, with serious implications for our rights and freedoms. The Digital Services Act (DSA) was supposed to contribute to progress in this area, notably by obliging providers of very large online platforms and of very large online search engines to consider and act upon the possible systemic risk of negative effects in relation to gender-based violence. How is this working in practice, if it is?  This panel will notably be discuss:

• Is the DSA making a difference already?

• What can or must be done to get there?

• Are all forms of gender-based violence being adequately captured?

• Which other approaches and initiatives might be needed?

CDT Europe Speaker: Asha Allen, Director and Secretary General, CDT Europe

Panel: Effective Remedies for AI-Induced Harms: Lessons Learned from GDPR Enforcement by Data Protection Authorities

Description: Data protection authorities have collectively been at the forefront of assessing the impacts of new technologies on fundamental rights, naturally emerging as strong contenders for the role as Market Surveillance Authorities under the AI Act. With the deadline to appoint Market Surveillance Authorities approaching in August 2025, this panel aims to identify lessons learned from data protection authorities’ experience in ensuring effective remedies for data protection harms which could be applied to the AI Act’s market surveillance framework. The panel will identify the different enforcement needs for AI harms as opposed to solely data protection harms, compare and contrast the governing frameworks for data protection and market surveillance authorities and how these regulators have traditionally fulfilled their roles, and discuss how best civil society and fundamental rights authorities may support and collaborate with them.

CDT Europe Speaker: Laura Lazaro Cabrera, Counsel and Director of the Equity and Data Programme, CDT Europe

Workshop: Balancing Security and Fundamental Rights: Curbing the Spyware Trade in the EU Market

The spyware market in the EU presents a significant challenge for regulators, civil society, and industry stakeholders. Despite growing awareness and some regulatory efforts, the EU has not done enough to curb the proliferation and abuse of spyware. Weak enforcement, export control loopholes, and lack of accountability have allowed the market to thrive. This workshop will assess the state of spyware production, trade, and use in the EU, exploring potential regulatory interventions at the EU level. Experts, policymakers, and civil society representatives will come together for an interactive roundtable, designed to encourage dialogue between regulators, industry representatives, and civil society experts. The session will: – Discuss the scale and structure of the spyware market in the EU, focusing on domestic production, intra-EU trade, and third-country imports. – Highlight challenges in regulation, enforcement, oversight, and accountability of spyware abuses. – Identify opportunities for a stronger, rights-respecting EU regulatory framework.

CDT Europe Speaker: Silvia Lorenzo Perez, Director of the Security, Surveillance and Human Rights Programme, CDT Europe

More Information

The post CPDP.ai 2025: THE WORLD IS WATCHING appeared first on Center for Democracy and Technology.

Time: 9:00am-1:00pm ET

During a dynamic half-day hybrid event on Tuesday, May 20, the i2Coalition, Identity Digital, and ICANN will gather leading experts in language, Internet infrastructure and AI to discuss how digital access is the key to unlocking the Internet’s full potential for all users.

Panel 1: Will AI Break or Build Barriers? Linguistic and Cultural Divides on the Internet

As AI translation tools rapidly advance, we stand at a crossroads between unprecedented global connection and potential cultural homogenization. This panel examines how to leverage AI technologies to preserve and enhance the rich variety of languages on the Internet today. Join experts from technology, linguistics, and cultural studies as they explore how we might harness AI to create a multilingual digital landscape while preserving cultural nuance and diversity.

CDT Featured Speaker: Aliya Bhatia, Senior Policy Analyst

More Information

The post Breaking Barriers: Universal Acceptance and Multilingualism as Gateways to Digital Access appeared first on Center for Democracy and Technology.

Time: 9 am – 12 pm ET

On May 16, 2025, the Knight Institute will hold a convening to discuss free speech and consumer protection in an era of commercial surveillance—an issue exacerbated by rapidly accruing threats to democracy. The event, “Surveillance Ascendant, Democracy in Free Fall,” is a collaboration between the Knight Institute and the Institute’s Senior Policy Fellow Olivier Sylvain. It will take place in-person at the National Press Club’s Holeman Lounge in Washington, D.C., from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm ET, and will be livestreamed. Refreshments will be served.

RSVP for in-person and/or virtual attendance.

Guest Speakers

• CDT’s Nathalie Marechal 

The post Surveillance Ascendant, Democracy in Free Fall appeared first on Center for Democracy and Technology.

Date: Thursday, May 15, 2025

​Curious about where Europe’s heading in terms of tech policy in 2025? Come hang out with us!

​Join the Tech Policy Press and CDT Europe for an evening of drinks and informal discussion about “Tech Policy in 2025: Where Does Europe Stand?” We’ll start with a few quick words to set the stage, then it’s all about connecting, sharing ideas, and figuring out what the future holds for tech regulation in Europe.

CDT Featured Speaker

• Asha Allen, Director and Secretary General, CDT Europe

Timing:

​18:00 – 18:15: Doors open; grab a drink, chat, find a seat

​​​18:15 – 18:45: Intros and opening remarks by Tech Policy Press and CDT Europe

​​​18:45 – 18:55: Q&A 

​​​18:55 – 20:00: Networking — drinks and conversation to continue until close.

​Location: TBC

More Information

The post Tech Policy in 2025: Where Does Europe Stand? appeared first on Center for Democracy and Technology.

Time: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

President Donald Trump has made it a priority to ensure “fairness” in media—both new and old. He isn’t waiting for Congress to act. The new leadership of the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Justice Antitrust Division are eager to take action. Whether they succeed will turn on a series of complex legal questions about the authority of these agencies and how the First Amendment limits government interference in private media. Please join us for a two-day workshop exploring the constitutional limits to what government can do about “censorship” and “bias.”

May 15 – Can the FTC and DOJ Police Political Bias & Content Moderation?

The leaders of the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice Antitrust Division believe these agencies can take legal action to ensure that social media companies curate and moderate content without political bias. They also want to sue advertisers for threatening to boycott platforms that won’t moderate content harmful to brands. But how do consumer protection and competition law apply to media companies? What action, if anything, could these agencies take that is consistent with the First Amendment? The FTC is taking comments on these issues until May 21.

CDT Featured Speaker: Kate Ruane, Director, Free Expression Project

Register

The post Burning the House Down to Roast the Pig: Constitutional Limits of FTC, FCC and DOJ Interference in Media and Speech appeared first on Center for Democracy and Technology.

At the end of April, OpenAI released a model update that made ChatGPT feel less like a helpful assistant and more like a yes-man. The update was quickly rolled back, with CEO Sam Altman admitting the model had become “too sycophant-y and annoying.” But framing the concern as just about the tool’s irritating cheerfulness downplays the potential seriousness of the issue. Users reported the model encouraging them to stop taking their medication or lash out at strangers.

This problem isn’t limited to OpenAI’s recent update. A growing number of anecdotes and reportssuggest that overly flattering, affirming AI systems may be reinforcing delusional thinking, deepening social isolation, and distorting users’ grip on reality. In this context, the OpenAI incident serves as a sharp warning: in the effort to make AI friendly and agreeable, tech firms may also be introducing new dangers.

At the center of AI sycophancy are techniques designed to make systems safer and more “aligned” with human values. AI systems are typically trained on massive datasets sourced from the public internet. As a result, these systems learn not only from useful information but also from toxic, illegal, and unethical content. To address these problems, AI developers have introduced techniques to help AI systems respond in ways that better match users’ intentions.

Read the full article.

The post Op-Ed – Artificial Sweeteners: The Dangers of Sycophantic AI appeared first on Center for Democracy and Technology.

AI agents are moving rapidly from prototypes to real-world products. These systems are increasingly embedded into consumer tools, enterprise workflows, and developer platforms. Yet despite their growing visibility, the term “AI agent” lacks a clear definition and is used to describe a wide spectrum of systems — from conversational assistants to action-oriented tools capable of executing complex tasks. This brief focuses on a narrower and increasingly relevant subset: action-taking AI agents, which pursue goals by making decisions and interacting with digital environments or tools, often with limited human oversight. 

As an emerging class of AI systems, action-taking agents indicate a distinct shift from earlier generations of generative AI. Unlike passive assistants that respond to user prompts, these systems can initiate tasks, revise plans based on new information, and operate across applications or time horizons. They typically combine large language models (LLMs) with structured workflows and tool access, enabling them to navigate interfaces, retrieve and input data, and coordinate tasks across systems, in addition to often offering conversational interfaces. In more advanced settings, they operate in orchestration frameworks where multiple agents collaborate, each with distinct roles or domain expertise.

This brief begins by outlining how action-taking agents function, the technical components that enable them, and the kinds of agentic products being built. It then explains how technical components of AI agents — such as control loop complexity, tool access, and scaffolding architecture — shape their behavior in practice. Finally, it surfaces emerging areas of policy concern where the risks posed by agents increasingly appear to outpace the safeguards currently in place, including security, privacy, control, human-likeness, governance infrastructure, and allocation of responsibility. Together, these sections aim to clarify both how AI agents currently work and what is needed to ensure they are responsibly developed and deployed.

Read the full brief.

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