This House Believes AI Will Save Democracy: An Oxford-Style Debate

The impact of AI on all levels of society is undeniable and growing, making this debate more timely than ever. On 10 October, as part of Geneva Democracy Week, we warmly invite you to take part in an Oxford-style debate on the motion: ‘"This House believes that AI will save democracy."

• Date: Friday, 10 October 2025
• Time: 12:30 – 14:00 (90min)
• Location: DCAF - Maison de la Paix, Petal 5 (9th floor), Chemin Eugène-Rigot 2, 1202 Geneva 
• Language: English
• Free Entry: REGISTER HERE

About the Event

In a world where trust in democratic institutions is eroding and misinformation spreads faster than truth, many are turning to an unlikely hero: artificial intelligence. Can algorithms mend what politics has broken? Or are we handing the keys of democracy to machines that don’t understand human values?  

As part of Geneva Democracy Week, join us for an Oxford-style debate on the motion: This House believes that AI will save democracy:

• Team 1 will argue in favor of the motion—defending the idea that AI can and will strengthen democracy
• Team 2 will argue against the motion, challenging AI’s ability to serve democratic values and warning of its risks
   

In true Oxford fashion, the audience will vote before and after the debate, deciding not who is right, but who argued best and moved the room.

Come ready to question, vote, and leave with a mind either changed—or sharpened. 

Speakers

CECILIA CANNON, Managing Director at PoliSync

Dr. Cecilia Cannon is Managing Director at PoliSync with 20+ years’ experience in policy research, teaching, and policy communications. She leads a UN project on the securitisation of migration, and a six-part webinar series with leading nonprofits on AI for Social Good. She co-authored the 2024 UN report on migrants’ contributions and advises international actors on research, strategy, digital tools, and policy impact. She holds a PhD in International Relations from the Geneva Graduate Institute.

OLIVIER CROCHAT, Executive Director of Center for Digital Trust (C4DT) / EPFL

Dr. Olivier Crochat is the first Executive Director of C4DT. Olivier has a strong scientific background (Master Degree and PhD from EPFL in Telecommunication). He started his 20+ years career by setting up processes and managing a very large mobile telephony rollout project for Nokia, and then had executive roles in startups, SMEs and large companies. Before joining C4DT, Olivier was the CEO of a telecom company in Switzerland, that he successfully sold to a large European bandwidth infrastructure company. Olivier has an excellent understanding of the ICT domain, where he managed several projects (services, social applications, devices, mobile, networks, …) from idea to exit.

DAWN LUI, Programme Manager (New Technologies Lead) at DCAF

Dawn Lui is a Programme Manager at DCAF – Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. As part of Research and Training at DCAF, her research focuses on the nexus between transnational and emerging security challenges and security sector governance and reform (SSG/R). Dawn holds a PhD in International Law from the Graduate Institute Geneva, alongside a Master of Laws from the University of Hong Kong and a Bachelor of Laws from Durham University (UK), and is called to the New York State Bar.

IGNACIO PACKER, Executive Director, Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation

Ignacio Packer is Executive Director of the Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation, a Swiss private charitable foundation with the mission to provide a safe and privileged space to inspire, equip and connect individuals, groups and organizations from around the globe to engage effectively and innovatively in the promotion of trust, ethical leadership, sustainable living and human security. Ignacio has over 30 years of experience in humanitarian work and development issues. He is an expert on human rights and social issues and has been strongly engaged in global advocacy on protection frameworks for migrants and refugees with a particular focus on children and youth.

Moderator

DECLAN O'BRIEN, Head of Elections and Democracy Programme, Kofi Annan Foundation

Declan O’Brien is the Head of Democracy and Multilateralism Programmes at the Kofi Annan Foundation. The Democracy and Multilateralism programmes address the challenges and opportunities to multilateralism, democracy and electoral integrity – including those particular to the digital age, peace, and sustainable development. Previously Declan served as the Project Coordinator for the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, a partnership with the Office of the State Counsellor of Myanmar which fell under the Foundation’s Mediation and Crisis Resolution programme. Declan O’brien holds an LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Peacekeeping Operations from the Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway, and has an undergraduate degree from Trinity College Dublin. He has completed further training for mediators and political advisors from UNITAR and the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. 

About Geneva Democracy Week

International Democracy Day, established by the UN, takes place every year on 15 September. Celebrated in more than 100 countries, it aims to ‘re-examine the state of democracy around the world’. To mark the occasion, the State Chancellery of the Canton of Geneva has been organising ‘Democracy Week’ since 2015, which focuses on a theme related to democratic issues in the canton of Geneva. The 2025 edition will be held from 4 to 12 October and will focus on the theme ‘Reinventing democracy: between tradition and innovation’.

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This debate is co-organised by Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation, Kofi Annan Foundation and the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF).

REGISTER HERE