Can Democratic Norms Catch Up with AI Surveillance? A Conversation with Vidushi Marda

Power 3.0 | Authoritarian Resurgence, Democratic Resilience

Through tools such as facial recognition cameras and social media monitoring software, artificial intelligence (AI) is offering governments new ways to keep tabs on people’s conversations, movements, and activities. Advocates warn that in the absence of clear-cut rules, these new capabilities could erode the rule of law in some settings and deepen authoritarian control in others. In this episode of the Power 3.0 podcast, featured guest Vidushi Marda discusses the global AI surveillance market, the struggle to set ground rules for emerging technologies, and how governments’ race to adopt cutting-edge tools could threaten the democratic principles of transparency and accountability. Vidushi Marda is a senior program officer at Article 19, where she leads research and engagement on the human rights implications of machine learning. Christopher Walker, vice president for studies and analysis at the National Endowment for Democracy, and Beth Kerley, a program officer at the International Forum for Democratic Studies, cohost the conversation. The views expressed in this podcast represent the opinions and analysis of the participants and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for Democracy or its staff. Photo Credit: Scharfsinn/Shutterstock.com