Technology is rapidly changing our lives and even affecting elections around the world. Wide-ranging developments in fields like AI, along with social media and smartphones, have shaped how people vote. Although these developments are not wrong in themselves, they have created new challenges for citizens around misinformation, privacy, and political polarization.
The Benefits of Technology
One of the biggest advantages of technology is that it can make participation in the democratic process easier. For example, the internet allows people to find information about governments, public policies, elections, and social issues. Social media, on the other hand, is an indispensable platform that gives youths and individuals opportunities to voice their concerns by discussing political issues, organizing movements, and communicating with public officials.
Technology has also increased transparency. More and more, digital platforms give citizens the chance to access public records, government spending, legislative documents, and other resources. Online consultations and electronic petitions also allow citizens to communicate their concerns, which has strengthened the relationship between citizens and democratic institutions.
The Risks of Technology
There are several risks associated with technology in the democratic sphere. On September 10, 2025, the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions and the Electoral Integrity Project co-hosted the Technology and the Future of Democracy conference to assess the threats posed by technology to key democratic institutions in Canada and around the world.
The conference examined two major questions: how technology impacts elections and what should be done to enhance election participation and integrity. A major risk technology poses is misinformation. Increasingly, in our digital world, false or misleading information can spread rapidly online and reach millions of people. Adding another dimension is the impact of artificial intelligence. AI can now easily help people produce convincing synthetic images, audio, and video that can be used to manipulate others. As these technologies develop, citizens might find it increasingly difficult to differentiate fact from fiction.
Another challenge technology poses to the democratic process is through the influence of algorithms. In many social media feeds, we often see content based on our previous behaviour and interests. For someone who continuously sees views similar to his own on politics, this can, over time, contribute to political polarization and reduce opportunities for citizens to encounter different perspectives.
Today, privacy is another important issue. Modern technology can easily collect vast amounts of data and information about people’s behaviour, interests, locations, and online activities, and use it to influence their ideas. Collecting this data raises an important question about who controls personal information and how it can be used.
Technology and the Electoral Process
Even though technology has greatly impacted our world, not everyone has equal access to a reliable internet connection, modern devices, or the skills needed to navigate digital information. If more and more governments move democratic participation and public services online, people without adequate access or digital literacy could easily be left out.
The advent of AI has streamlined many real-life processes. Nevertheless, if governments increasingly rely on AI to analyze large quantities of information, it can produce biases in their data or decision-making processes. That’s why AI use must be regulated; it requires transparency, accountability, and meaningful human oversight.
Will Technology Undermine the Future of Democracy?
Although technology can drive change, its effects will largely depend on the rules, institutions and social norms that govern how it is designed and used. As citizens, we all have a role to play in creating a digital environment that supports informed participation and protects fundamental rights.
The future of democracy will depend less on simply adopting new technologies and more on how we use technology to serve democratic values such as freedom, equality, accountability, privacy, and public participation.
Technology can expand the democratic process if it is accompanied by strong institutions that promote responsible regulation. The challenge is therefore not whether technology will diminish the democratic process, but whether citizens will use it wisely to strengthen their ability to participate in the democratic process.
David Messiha | Staff Writer