Last Thursday, we celebrated the inauguration of our PRINCEPS Risk Intelligence Institute with an exclusive invite-only PRINCEPS Executive Club event. The first event of the Institute symbolised its dedication to becoming a regional center of excellence and fostering diverse expert discussions. One of the highlights of the evening was the debate with distinguished experts, Dominika Hajdu from GLOBSEC and Marián Balázs from Deník N, exploring the role of disinformation in the recent Slovak election.
The topic of discussion was deliberately chosen to reflect the risk intelligence work that the Institute aims to promote. As our Institute's director, Michael Vintr explained, disinformation directly goes against the principles of intelligence work, which relies on accurate and precise information.
During the discussion, Balázs explained that the election results represent a changing information landscape, where populist rhetoric, propaganda, and disinformation are widespread, and the boundaries between them are becoming blurred. This blurred line poses a challenge for anti-disinformation legislation, as its vague parameters could make it susceptible to misuse for political purposes. Hajdu proposed addressing this issue not through legislation that outright bans disinformation but through laws that regulate social media algorithms to avoid offering users disinformation sources.
The speakers also noted that the deteriorating tone of Slovak political discourse makes it hard to have productive discussions about pressing issues like the economy. Hajdu suggested potential solutions involving the use of digital technology rather than restricting it. In response to the example of the deepfake video circulated shortly before the election night, she argued that the only way to keep up with these AI technologies is to invest in AI for detection. The evening continued informally as industry experts from academia and the private sector shared their perspectives over a glass of wine.
The launch of the PRINCEPS Risk Intelligence Institute brought together a diverse group of Czech and Slovak industry experts and we want to express our gratitude to all the attendees for contributing to the event's success. We look forward to seeing all of you at the next PRINCEPS Risk Intelligence Institute's Executive Club event (stay tuned for invitations in your inbox).
