Let Caerphilly be our Clarion Call
The recent Caerphilly by-election illustrated how the amplification of misinformation in the digital space can shape modern campaigns. This affects both the flow of information—and thus public voting behaviour during a campaign—and the public’s trust in the outcome of said campaign.
Trust in any political system is essential. We need to restore the relationship between governance and the governed. This is certainly a wider issue with other factors, such as the opaque influence of lobbyists and self-interested career politicians, but it is especially necessary to stress its critical significance in the current climate of Artificial Intelligence.
Ultimately, given the all-encompassing scope of its nature, addressing AI is the required starting point to maintain the functioning and trust of our democracy. We can build on the efforts to bulwark against the threat of AI. Without addressing it first as the primary goal, we’d be swimming against the tide and fighting a losing battle.
The Immediate Threat of AI in Politics
AI is no longer a general idea. It presents a very real and very current threat to our democracy in several ways at all levels of our political system, which coalesce to influence how we interact with government and vice versa.
Our responsibility as the governed is to ensure that the current weak feedback loop between the government and us is addressed, and the existence of this process is maintained and protected. I must stress the power we still possess in the ability to participate in free and open elections. It is quite literally everything.
I totally get the apathetic streak in many of us… but this sentiment must change if we are to stand a chance. Without our political engagement, we are ripe pickings for unscrupulous bad-faith actors who act against the interests of the Welsh and British people.
The Open Party: A Local Solution
It’s time for a new approach to politics. The Open Party offers us the mechanism for our communities to be represented by local voices that are invested in finding solutions to the problems we face together. As aforementioned, the role of AI needs to be our first port of call in this battle.
The amalgamation of AI with current digital technologies, especially social media, and the problems as a result were typified in the recent Caerphilly by-election. We must heighten our awareness of these now to reduce their impact on the upcoming 2026 Senedd elections across the nation.
The truth is, whoever was behind the manipulation succeeded. It may not have resulted in their desired outcome, but it certainly influenced at least one person’s vote on that day—and that’s a problem.
Reclaiming Our Community Space
We can rejoice in our ability to unite as a community. I must stress the need for this to be in a physical space. We still have the power to figure out which way is up and fight against:
- Synthetic ‘deep fake’ media
- Algorithmic agenda setting
- Targeted political advertising with malicious and divisive intent.
