Influence of AI on digital democracy on four main areas:

1. Citizenship Digital citizenship - How AI can improve online engagement and promote ethical behaviour while posing privacy risks and fostering identity stereotyping.
2. Participation Political participation - AI's dual role in mobilising civic actions and spreading misinformation
3. Representation AI's involvement in electoral processes can enhance voter registration, e voting and the efficiency of result tabulation but raises concerns regarding privacy and public trust.
4. Public sphere

Ethical questions about manipulation and the legitimacy of democracy.

How integrating AI and digital technologies can facilitate political advocacy and personalised communication.

Introduction

Digital democracy emerges from blending democratic governance with computer mediated communications.

Berg and Hoffman (2021) - the evolution of digital democracy

They delineate three key stages:

1. Electronic democracy (e-democracy)
   • E - democracy in the 1980s, with cable TV and bulletin board - platforms for direct participation, like electronic town halls.
2. Virtual democracy
   • Virtual democracy in the 1990s era, with internet that supported techno - libertarian ideals and democracy that transcended national borders.
3. Network democracy
   • Network democracy in the 2000s, with advent of web 2.0, with massive participatory opportunities and the ambiguous role of digital platforms. This also marked the rise of social media and commercial interests of media.
   • Social media platforms could enhance political deliberation and participation.

Dzisah (2018) and Jennings, Suzuki, Hubbard (20211)

By lowering barriers to accessing information, expressing opinions and mobilising around essential issues, social media can empower citizens - as some empirical research suggests , particularly those with lower incomes who may benefit from these accessible and inexpensive platforms