The internet is managed and governed by a complex web of actors at its many levels. Backbone and Tier 1 service providers control the submarine cables and fibre networks that make up the core infrastructure of the internet. Cloud service providers, content distribution networks, and mobile network providers provide the underlying support for the modern internet. And internet platforms dictate our interface with the global internet. At each level, companies are responsible for securing our digital lives and economy in the face of evolving crises. As generative AI emerges as a new tool, it’s impact on the internet is still coming to fruition, but it has the potential to dramatically transform the information ecosystem. Despite concerns over sophisticated misinformation campaigns and bots, content has been historically human-centric. With the automation of content creation, generative AI forms a new technical “information layer” to the global internet as companies, nations, hackers, and civil society all try to understand the ways in which this new technology will shape our information ecosystem. This talk will expand upon the Tony Blair Institute’s previous work on internet fragmentation and the geopolitical power of tech companies, exploring the ways in which the developers of generative AI are shaping access to information and their potential for exploitation in crisis. It will also look at how industry, government and civil society can work effectively together to ensure safe and secure information ecosystems worldwide.

Our team will facilitate both onsite and online participation at IGF through several methods. The online audience will be displayed on a dedicated screen, with our online moderator reporting their experience to the onsite team, relaying chat messages, and engaging with them in real time. Similarly, our onsite moderator will be ready to take questions from the live audience following the presentation portion of the talk. To encourage active participation, we will provide links to our previous work, use audience engagement tools, and share our written reports in advance. Expert speakers will discuss their experiences, followed by open discussions using platforms like sli.do. Additionally, speakers will use Twitter and LinkedIn to socialise the content for interaction with participants and those who are unable to attend in real time.