About the Author: Alisa Kolesnikova is a PhD researcher at the Chair of Information Systems of Humboldt University focusing on neural networks, in particular natural language processing in politics and social media. Prior to joining Humboldt she worked in finance and internal consulting in Hong Kong, China and Singapore as financial analyst and later head of Analytics Department. Alisa is also a member of a Humboldt Blockchain Research Group and a creator of the crypto volatility index VCRIX. Abstract of the Talk Neural networks brought many exciting opportunities and less discussed challenges. The Cambridge Analytica scandal is the tip of the iceberg, revealing the major shifts in the way we will be deriving our civil judgement and ultimately making voting decisions. Both politicians and electorate will have to adjust their actions to the changing rules of communication to preserve the standing of the democratic institutions.

1. Undermining
democracy
how neural networks are changing
the global political landscape
by Alisa Kolesnikova

2. neural networks
asimovinstitute.org

3. sample of Cambridge Analytica’s ‘Trump for President’ debrief
(as showcased by The Guardian in March 2018)

4. Text: articles, official declarations
Video: TV, YouTube, etc Sound: radio, speech recordings
Opinion sharing: live talks,
posts, tweets, comments
COMMUNICATION
VOTE
ENFORCEMENT

5. I am not sure what to think
about the refugee crisis..
Opinion sharing: live talks,
posts, tweets, comments
Text: articles, official
declarations

6. Something Unreal youtube.com/watch?v=NG-LATBZNBs
Sound: radio, speech
recordings

7. https://www.dw.com/en/facial-recognition-surveillance-test-extended-at-berlin-train-station/a-41813861
Facial Recognition Scanning. John Lund/Getty Images

8. Synthesizing Obama: Learning Lip Sync from Audio
Supasorn Suwajanakorn, Steven N Seitz, Ira Kemelmacher-Schlizerman,
University of Washington
Video: TV, YouTube

9. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/11/12/in-the-age-of-ai-is-seeing-still-believing
Video: TV, YouTube

10. AfD
CDU
CSU
Die LINKE
FDP
GRÜNE
SPD
botcheck.me

11. • Attention economy + deep fakes = reality indifference
• We need new communication channels
• Neural Networks do not belong to anybody, data does – use both wisely