As the Summit for AI Action opens this Thursday, February 6, in Paris, the Forum on Information and Democracy reiterates the urgent need to establish regulatory frameworks to ensure that the development of this technology benefits, rather than undermines, information integrity and human rights.
Paris, February 5, 2025
From February 6 to 11, Paris will host the AI Action Summit. Organized by the French Presidency and decidedly focused on concrete deliverables, the Summit aims to “strengthen international action in favor of artificial intelligence serving the public interest.” It is expected to bring together dozens of heads of state, industry leaders, researchers, and a select number of civil society representatives.
“In an increasingly volatile international context, the AI Action Summit must help define a third way for the development of technological systems that already have a direct impact on the lives of millions of people. Our organization will actively contribute to ensuring that issues related to the information space are properly considered by the organizers and stakeholders gathered in Paris.”
— Camille Grenier, Executive Director of the Forum on Information and Democracy
Structured around different workstreams led by Anne Bouverot, the President’s Special Envoy for the Summit, the event has a particularly ambitious scope, covering topics such as the public interest, trust, the future of work, as well as culture and innovation.
Following recent announcements by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, France’s Minister for Digital Affairs, Clara Chappaz, also emphasized that the Summit will serve as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation towards “technology that serves society and social cohesion.” The Forum on Information and Democracy has actively contributed to these efforts over the past 12 months:
- February 28, 2024: The Forum launched its report on AI and the information space from Paris, Berkeley, Cape Town, Brasília, and Florence, proposing a regulatory framework to safeguard information integrity in the AI era.
- September 2024: The Forum proposed the creation of a voluntary certification mechanism for AI systems serving the public interest and issued a global call to action, signed by over 20 organizations.
- January 15, 2025: The Forum published the first meta-analysis from its Observatory, assessing the state of research on information ecosystems. A dedicated chapter focuses on AI, information, and democracy.
These initiatives demonstrate that regulating AI systems is essential to preserving the health of our information spaces and democracies. By ensuring data protection, value-sharing, bias mitigation, transparency, and accountability, artificial intelligence can genuinely contribute to expanding access to knowledge and progress.
During the Summit, the Forum will notably co-host a side event with the United Nations, UNESCO, and the Brazilian government. Titled “AI and Information Integrity on Climate Change,” the session will explore the challenges and opportunities AI presents for the right to information on climate issues. It will also connect the Summit to the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change, launched at the G20 in Rio in November 2024.