The Civic Toolkit: Digital Literacy in the Age of AI

Democracies around the world are grappling with declining trust in public institutions, increasing polarisation and the rapid spread of disinformation, often amplified by AI. How can we best build digital literacy and strengthen democratic culture to reconnect citizens with decision-making?‍

At this critical moment, civic engagement feels increasingly fragile. Yet it remains one of our most powerful tools for collective progress, strengthening democratic culture, enabling shared problem-solving and accountability, and even a source of hope.  An urgent conversation is needed around democratic renewal – and artificial intelligence’s place at the very heart of this moment.

While AI can deepen polarisation and entrench bias, it can also expand participation, strengthen transparency and reconnect citizens with decision-making. The question is not whether technology will shape our democratic future – but how. That’s why citizens need a blueprint to play an active role.

Building a Citizens’ Toolkit: Digital Literacy in the Era of AI is a non-partisan initiative designed to strengthen the discussion around democratic culture through structured learning spaces that explore civic innovation, digital resilience and the responsible role for AI in public life.

At our first convening on 17 April, we will bring together citizens, educators, technologists, community leaders and policymakers to examine how innovation can serve democratic values – and reimagine the public square for the digital age.  This conference is not just about AI. It is a conversation about the kind of society we want and how we build it together.

What To Expect

Start the day by learning from leading voices on the challenges facing democracy in the modern technological age, before stepping into interactive sessions designed for reflection and problem-solving. Participants will build digital literacy, critical insight and gain practical tools to confidently navigate today’s information landscape.

Agenda

The one-day convening will unfold in four key acts, as we work together to build a toolkit to explore civic participation, AI and the future of democratic culture.

11:00: Welcome and Opening

Introductions and context-setting

11:10 – 12:30: AI in the World: Navigating Truth, Trust & Technology

We open by zooming out: The world is being reorganised by competing powers, and AI is accelerating this in ways that democratic systems were never designed to withstand.

We trace how democracy erodes when disinformation spreads, and probe: What do we do about it – and does democracy’s operating system need a fundamental update? AI does not have to be simply a risk to manage – it is a genuine opportunity to reimagine how states decide, how citizens participate, and how institutions regain legitimacy.

12:30 – 13:30: Networking Lunch

 

13:30 – 14:30: The Agora

In the second session, we explore what it looks like to design AI that actively protects democratic systems and show how this is already happening. We introduce AI tools that make political information more accessible and dig into what rebuilding trust in democratic institutions requires on the ground, not just the theory, and ask: How do we use AI to maximize its benefits and minimises its harms?

15:00 – 15:45: The Democracy Lab

This session belongs to the room. Participants break into small groups, work through specific challenges, and bring their own knowledge, experience, and concerns to the table.

15:45 – 17:00: Return to the Agora 

The Democracy Lab findings come back to the full room in an Open Mic session. We close the day with what computer science and algorithmic design can tell us about building decision-making systems that are fair, transparent, and worthy of democratic trust.