Sam PitrodaAs AI and social media transform global politics, it’s urgent that we prioritize human dignity, truth, trust and empathy. Governments and corporations must step up to protect democratic values—through transparency, digital rights, and policies that support authenticated behavior over profit.
What if the very tools that promise to connect us are also driving us apart? AI and social media have reshaped human interactions, politics and public opinion—sometimes in ways that undermine democracy’s core values of truth and fairness. It’s become easy to spread hate, misinformation, and mistrust online, and our political discourse has suffered. We need urgent action from both governments and big corporations to return to basic democratic principles: respect, truth, and a responsibility to one another. For the first time in human history, we are all essentially connected, and the time to act is now. What does this connectivity mean to take human civilization to the next level?
In the last decade, technology—particularly AI and social media—has reshaped political landscapes in ways we never imagined. It has brought us together but has also created new, dangerous divides. Today, social media platforms and AI tools wield enormous power, able to sway public opinion, manipulate facts, and erode truth. This potent mix has transformed the very nature of democracy, and the growing concern is this: we may be too swept up in technology’s appeal to recognize the risks it brings.
From my perspective, the greatest challenge technology presents to democracy is a crisis of authenticity. Misinformation and fake news are now dangerously fast-moving forces that leave the truth struggling to keep up. We find ourselves unable to differentiate fact from fiction because of unauthenticated behavior—anyone, anywhere can say anything, hiding behind anonymity or even adopting false identities. As a result, social media, which should be a space for constructive debate, often turns into a tool for hate speech, character attacks, and misinformation campaigns.
AI has only deepened these problems. Consider this: with AI, anyone can create a convincing yet fake video of a public figure, manipulate audio, and spread false information as if it were real. As I see it, this is a fundamental breach of our societal trust. How are we, as a democratic society, supposed to respond? The answer must start with accountability.
We need, first and foremost, verified identity. Every individual online should be authenticated, and they should stand by their words as themselves, not as anonymous or fabricated personas. If we had a verification system, individuals would have to take personal responsibility for what they say and share. Second, I advocate for a watermark system for digital media. This would mean that any time content is altered or manipulated, it loses its authenticity watermark. People would know immediately if something has been tampered with and could judge it accordingly.
These steps may seem technical, but their potential impact on trust, hate and violence is enormous. However, technological solutions alone are not enough. As digital citizens, we each have rights, responsibilities and obligations —responsibilities that are essential to preserving democratic discourse. We need to create a Digital Rights and Obligations Declaration that spells out these responsibilities, much like the UN Declaration of Human Rights, to guide how we behave and interact on digital platforms. If we can teach this respect for digital rights, especially to young people, we can change the future for the better.
This leads me to our younger generations, who have an unmatched capacity to shape the digital age. But for them to lead wisely, we must instill a respect for democracy, freedom, justice, and sustainability. When I look to role models like Mahatma Gandhi, I see the values of truth, trust, love, freedom, justice, diversity, inclusion, equity, courage, and simplicity that democracy depends on. Today, it seems that power and profit have overshadowed these ideals. If our people can shift the focus from power and profit to people and the planet, the world will be in good hands.
So, where do we go from here? Let’s start by believing that humanity is fundamentally good. People—regardless of political or cultural backgrounds are good —seek stability, peace, and a prosperous life. Technology should bring out the best in us, allowing us to communicate, cooperate, collaborate ,cocreate , listen, learn, love and resolve differences through understanding. Whether we agree or not, mutual respect is possible, and it begins with open mind, empathy, and integrity. Let’s use technology to connect as neighbors, not adversaries.
It’s time to reclaim the internet for what it can be—a platform for truth, trust, inclusion and network. This begins with setting up safeguards and standards but must be sustained through a collective commitment to respecting one another, both online and offline. As a global community, we owe it to ourselves and future generations to create a digital world we can all believe in. This is the only way to use AI and hyper connectivity to empower individuals to take human civilization to the next level with clear focus on the planet and all the people.
