Advancing Technology for Democracy

Two in three people around the world now have access to the internet — driving massive transformations in our daily lives. Much of this change has been positive for society, spurring economic growth, enabling new connections with government, improving transparency, and turbocharging civic activism.

However, while technology holds immense potential to help people live more free and prosperous lives, it also presents significant risks to citizen privacy and data, freedom of the press, and individual expression.

As part of the #developmentisdigital agenda, USAID has mobilized efforts to ensure that technologies, including AI, work for — not against — democratic principles, institutions, and societies.

To meet this moment, Vera Zakem, USAID’s first ever Chief Digital Democracy and Rights Officer, along with a team of experts, has been instrumental in leading USAID’s efforts to support democracy and human rights in the digital age and promote information resilience. Read our interview with Vera to learn more.

Q: What do you believe are some of the core opportunities and challenges in the digital and technology realm?

A: In lower and middle income countries, opportunities for responsible digital transformation are immense. We see how access to digital infrastructure and emerging technologies can have life-changing impacts on people everywhere, and in doing so, increase economic opportunities, innovation, and build democratic and resilient societies.

From Africa to Asia to Latin America, our efforts have supported programs to reduce the digital divide and make sure that no one is left behind.

We have seen cases in Kenya and Nigeria where Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been used to identify and monitor diseases and assist with crop production. In Indonesia, AI has helped to identify and detect information manipulation — and in Georgia, speech-to-text transcription tools for Georgian-language video and audio have helped researchers and analysts more quickly scan for and identify manipulated information.

However, the challenges and risks that emerging technologies like AI pose are very real.

We have seen how foreign and local actors in USAID partner countries have used emerging technologies to manipulate and control information at a higher speed and scale than ever before, especially at critical times, such as during elections, wars, and humanitarian disasters. Technologies can also be used to target civilians, silence dissenting voices, and manipulate public opinion. For example, AI-enabled deepfakes are being used to harass women in politics and public life, force them into silence, and reduce their job prospects.

Q: What have been a few of the key achievements you are especially proud of over the last four years?

A: In my time at USAID, I’ve had a front row seat to the transformative potential of new technologies in advancing our mission and U.S. broader foreign policy agenda. This has included, for example, inclusive and affordable internet connectivity, the use of data and satellite imagery to inform our decisions, the use of mobile money to drive digital financial inclusion, and the use of emerging technologies to support information resilience, strengthen cybersecurity, and prevent other harms.

However, as I reflect on what USAID has achieved over the last several years as a team, there are a few things that especially fill me with pride.

First, through the Presidential Initiative for Democratic Renewal (PIDR) launched by President Biden at the first Summit for Democracy in 2021, we elevated the digital democracy agenda globally in bilateral and multilateral fora and in the countries where we partner. As part of one PIDR effort I’m particularly proud of, the Advancing Digital Democracy Initiative and Academy, we have been building a global coalition to elevate our commitments to responsible innovation.

And, as part of another PIDR effort and through the Freedom Online Coalition, a multilateral institution focused on rights respecting internet governance, 38 countries along with many civil society organizations endorsed the Donor Principles for Human Rights in the Digital Age to ensure that our collective investments in the digital ecosystem do no harm. These Donor Principles established an international framework to provide governments with a blueprint to help ensure that their digital engagements and investments align with human rights and democratic values.

Second, through the Promoting Information Integrity Resilience Initiative, which USAID and the Department of State launched together at the second Summit for Democracy, we have elevated our efforts to strengthen information integrity and resilience in the countries we operate overseas across all sectors.

This is critical in combating global information manipulation, which remains one of the greatest challenges of our time. All of this work has been conducted by multiple experts across USAID, demonstrating the importance of integration.

Third, the new Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance Policy expands our toolbox so that we can keep up with fast moving technology that can be weaponized against citizens. It codifies our intent to counter the rise of digital repression at its source. We are working with lawyers, judges, legislatures and other oversight organizations to develop national strategies and standards around the use of technologies. And we are doing more to help activists, organizations, and ordinary citizens, particularly young people, better understand and be in a position to guard against the ways in which these technologies can be used against them, including to manipulate them.

Q: What has USAID done to both promote the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and counter its potential dangers?

A: The use of large language models in products like ChatGPT hint at the immense power of AI tools, which have already been quietly impacting how we live and interact with the world for many years. These tools expose both the opportunity and the responsibility that USAID has to inform their global deployment in a manner that is consistent with our values and enhances our work.

USAID has been at the forefront of global efforts to shape a coherent, inclusive, rights-respecting vision for the responsible use of AI to advance the development of digital markets, governments, and societies consistent with our core values including gender equality and social inclusion, supporting freedom of expression, and respect for other fundamental human rights.

Additionally, our USAID AI Action Plan charts a path for how USAID can be a responsible steward of AI — both in our own programs and in strengthening AI ecosystems in the countries where we work.

Last month, on the sidelines of the 79th UN General Assembly, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the launch of our AI in the Global Development Playbook and the Global AI Research Agenda, mandated by President Biden’s Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence. These deliverables provide a comprehensive approach to the design, deployment, and use of AI in advancing UN Sustainable Development Goals and guiding future research on AI.

Q: Where do we go from here — what gives you optimism for the future of digital technology?

A: When the design, development, and deployment of new digital technologies include human rights, safety, and privacy by design, and provide opportunities to support civil society and government — technology can be truly transformative for good. It can strengthen democracies, spur economic growth and innovation, and address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.

Though what gives me the greatest hope are the dedicated partnerships with global and local partners, including governments, the private sector, donors, and civil society, and committed public servants — all working hand in hand to ensure that technology advances democracy and human rights.

In return, citizens in the countries that we support, truly feel and see the impact of these efforts.

USAID partners with governments, the private sector, and civil society to foster open, secure, and inclusive digital ecosystems that advance democratic values and respect for human rights. USAID’s Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance prioritizes programs that respond to emerging trends and threats to democracy, and develops new ways to advance the development and dissemination of democracy-enhancing technology.