5.1.2. Digital Democracy
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5.1.2. Digital Democracy
Use the future to build the present
Digital Democracy
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1.1Advanced AI1.2QuantumRevolution1.3UnconventionalComputing1.4AugmentedReality1.5CollectiveIntelligence2.1CognitiveEnhancement2.2HumanApplicationsof GeneticEngineering2.3HealthspanExtension2.4ConsciousnessAugmentation2.5Organoids2.6FutureTherapeutics3.1Decarbonisation3.2EarthSystemsModelling3.3FutureFoodSystems3.4SpaceResources3.5OceanStewardship3.6SolarRadiationModification3.7InfectiousDiseases4.1Science-basedDiplomacy4.2Advancesin ScienceDiplomacy4.3Foresight,Prediction,and FuturesLiteracy4.4Democracy-affirmingTechnologies5.1ComplexSystemsScience5.2Futureof Education5.3Future Economics,Trade andGlobalisation5.4The Scienceof theOrigins of Life5.5SyntheticBiology
1.1Advanced AI1.2QuantumRevolution1.3UnconventionalComputing1.4AugmentedReality1.5CollectiveIntelligence2.1CognitiveEnhancement2.2HumanApplicationsof GeneticEngineering2.3HealthspanExtension2.4ConsciousnessAugmentation2.5Organoids2.6FutureTherapeutics3.1Decarbonisation3.2EarthSystemsModelling3.3FutureFoodSystems3.4SpaceResources3.5OceanStewardship3.6SolarRadiationModification3.7InfectiousDiseases4.1Science-basedDiplomacy4.2Advancesin ScienceDiplomacy4.3Foresight,Prediction,and FuturesLiteracy4.4Democracy-affirmingTechnologies5.1ComplexSystemsScience5.2Futureof Education5.3Future Economics,Trade andGlobalisation5.4The Scienceof theOrigins of Life5.5SyntheticBiology

Sub-Field:

5.1.2Digital Democracy

    One of the challenges for democracy is to engage the widest range of people in its practice and activity. Digital tools offer powerful new ways to do this by offering alternative means for citizens to debate and discuss, to communicate, to find solutions, to allocate resources and, ultimately, to govern.
    This creates the potential for dramatic changes in democracy, making it more representative, more efficient and more capable. That said, challenges will remain. Much effort will be needed to engage the broadest range of citizenry so that no groups are disenfranchised, particularly the elderly and technologically disadvantaged.6 Furthermore, digital tools also open the way for malicious actors to subvert democracy and to undermine society. Securing public confidence will therefore require a transparent design and operation of a robust, reliable and trustable, sufficiently participatory framework.

    Future Horizons:

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    5-yearhorizon

    Digital tools become commonplace tools in local community projects

    Small-scale institutions such as town councils and community associations increasingly rely on digital tools that gather data from and about communities to decide how to allocate resources, such as for maintaining roads, funding schools and reducing crime. Concerns about late-adopters of digital technologies are given proper consideration.

    10-yearhorizon

    Digital-aware politicians gain an advantage

    Machine learning algorithms trained on the output of digitally-gathered data provide new insights into community priorities. Politicians engaging with these priorities grow in popularity, thereby reinforcing the importance of digital inputs and participatory frameworks.

    25-yearhorizon

    Algorithms become vital tools in the democratic process

    Advances in the science of complex systems are combined with digitally-gathered data and increased access to machine learning algorithms. The result is a mechanism that prompts politicians and policymakers towards solving real-world problems collaboratively and measuring the success of actions taken.

    Digital Democracy - Anticipation Scores

    How the experts see this field in terms of the expected time to maturity, transformational effect across science and industries, current state of awareness among stakeholders and its possible impact on people, society and the planet. See methodology for more information.

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