États Généraux de l’Information Report on AI and Democracy is Released in Paris

After nine months of intensive work and participatory consultations, the final report of the États Généraux de l’Information (EGI) was officially unveiled in Paris in early October. Camille François, who was appointed by French President Macron to steer the initiative, and Maria Ressa, who played a critical role in shaping the results, traveled to Paris to engage the public and the government around these findings.
François is an associate professor of practice at SIPA and affiliated faculty member of SIPA’s Institute of Global Politics; Ressa is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist, who is also the cofounder, CEO, and president of Rappler; an Inaugural IGP Carnegie Distinguished Fellow; and a professor of professional practice at SIPA.
Launched in October 2023 by Macron, this initiative addresses how AI poses new challenges to democracies worldwide. In his mission letter, Macron outlined an ambitious goal: to provide “bold, concrete responses to the new challenges of our time—challenges such as technological innovation, particularly in artificial intelligence; the evolving economic models of media actors; the practice of citizenship in the digital age; media and information literacy; the conditions for entering and practicing journalism; combating foreign interference and disinformation; and the role of the state in regulation.”
The report’s development process was inclusive and participatory, engaging over 4,000 citizens, convening expert working groups, and conducting 174 formal hearings. The resulting 350-plus page report outlines 15 core recommendations, with a special focus on platform accountability, disinformation, and the role of AI on the future information landscape.
A key component of this effort was the Innovation Lab on AI and Democracy, developed in partnership with Columbia SIPA and Sciences Po. The Innovation Lab played a pivotal role in shaping the report’s recommendations on emerging technologies’ impact on society. The lab serves as a platform for researchers, policymakers, and technologists to collaborate on actionable interventions that address the complex challenges AI presents to democratic institutions.
The Innovation Lab’s contribution within the EGI report highlights five key action areas:
- Empowering media with technological sovereignty
- Protecting intellectual property from AI misuse
- Strengthening platform accountability for disinformation
- Providing open-source moderation and security tools
- And advocating for open-source AI in the public interest
“These recommendations underscore the urgent need to support public-interest AI and advocate for open-source approaches that will benefit pluralism and safety in our information environment,” said François. These recommendations will be instrumental in shaping the future of AI governance, she added, particularly in the lead-up to the 2025 French AI Action Summit.
Keren Yarhi-Milo, dean of Columbia SIPA, emphasized that the report shows how universities like Columbia and policy schools like SIPA can add greater rigor to our understanding of a complex topic like AI and its effects on democracy.
“Technology and innovations like AI are profoundly changing international relations and the future of democracy,” she said. “By leveraging the expertise of our tremendous faculty and working in collaboration with the French government, this report is a perfect example of how to find evidence-based solutions to some of our toughest global policy challenges. I hope the findings from this report will guard against the dangers of AI and strengthen democracies across the globe from its potential harms.”
The full report can be found here, with an English translation to be available soon.