On March 24, 2025, the Observatory on Information and Democracy the Observatory organised an event on “AI, Datafication, and Disinformation” as part of CNRS’s conference on trust ecosystems held at the CNRS headquarters in Paris. This event, structured into two complementary sessions, provided an opportunity to explore perspectives on combating information manipulation and the impact of digital technologies on democracy.
A Morning Dedicated to Combating Information Manipulation
The day began with a series of discussions highlighting contemporary challenges related to information manipulation. After opening remarks by Mehdi Gmar and Major General Jean-Michel Meunier, the Director of Radio France International, Jean-Marc Four set the stage with an impactful keynote speech about journalism in the modern public sphere.
The morning discussions addressed several fundamental topics:
- The current state of research and initiatives on disinformation.
- The presentation of the DIMA project (a framework for analyzing cognitive warfare) by Bertrand Boyer.
- The role of diverse ecosystems in fighting disinformation, explored in a roundtable discussion moderated by Émilie Bonnefoy.
- The analysis of narrative dynamics and their propagation by Sciences Po professor Dominique Boullier.
- Jean Cattan from the National Digital Council expertly wrapped up the morning with inspiring concluding remarks.
An Afternoon Focused on Datafication, AI, and Their Democratic Impacts: the Observatory’s report taking center stage
The afternoon featured the conference “Datafication, Artificial Intelligence, and Disinformation: Consequences and Strategies for Public and Media Resilience.” Based on the strong partnership between the CNRS and the Observatory on Information and Democracy, this session was an opportunity to present the findings of our first report, “Information Ecosystem and Troubled Democracy.”
Iris Boyer , Head of the Observatory, opened the session by introducing the Forum on Information and Democracy and the Observatory’s methodology, followed by a presentation by Robin Mansell, the scientific director of the report, who outlined its main conclusions. Our findings were the starting points for following panel discussions focused on:
- The power asymmetry of major platforms and the sustainability of media, discussed in a panel featuring Christine Abdalla Mikhaeil and Michel Le Nouy.
- The challenges of AI and disinformation, with contributions from Patrick Bas, Julien Falgas, and Alda Mari.
A Day of Insightful Exchanges and New Perspectives
Our participation in this event contributed to the ongoing debate on protecting information and democracy against emerging digital challenges. The diversity of experts and researchers provided a multidisciplinary and complementary perspective, essential for developing effective strategies against disinformation.
We extend our sincere thanks to the organizers, speakers, and participants for these enriching discussions. To explore further, we invite you to read our full report and its executive summary in both French and English and to explore the interactive data map developed in partnership with CNRS’s institut des Systèmes Comples:
📌 Information Ecosystem and Troubled Democracy
