Algorithmic democracy. Surveillance capitalism. Technological despotism. These are some of the tandems that will be put on the table for collective reflection and debate in the third session of the ‘Dialogues without borders’ series organized by the Rototom Sunsplash festival and the Exodus Cultural Association.

Under the heading ‘The future of democracy. The new technological despotisms’.The session will bring to the Menador Espai Cultural de Castelló, on Monday, February 26th (18.00 h.) and with free admission, two expert voices in moral and political philosophy, the one of the Professor of Ethics at the Universitat Jaume I of Castelló, Domingo Garcíaand that of the D. in Moral Philosophy from the UJI and professor, Patrici Calvo, PhD in Moral Philosophy from the UJI.to analyze the disruption between ethical political activism and the dictatorship of the algorithm that 21st century democracy is facing.

Co-authors of the book ‘Algorithmic Democracy’, which will be published shortly, both will launch, in a session moderated by the journalist of El País, María Fabra, a reflection on the urgency of regenerating and revitalizing democracy in the face of the threat posed by the use of new technologies without ethical counterweights. Challenges on the rise in the era of Big Data, algorithms, Artificial Intelligence (AI) or the aforementioned surveillance capitalism, alluding to “the management of personal data by the world’s large technology companies,” Exodus reminds us.

“An example of this was the recent appearance of Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, before the US Senate to explain the perverse use of its platforms and social networks (Instagram and Facebook) because they have been able to generate cultural frames of reference and influence young people and adolescents”, added the organization.

The rise of fake news, the propagandistic use of social networks and the manipulation of information by AI, among others, “can alter democratic processes and are worrying for civil society,” Exodus warns.

There are more and more proven examples of the manipulative use of data and information via social networks in a variety of countries, “sowing conditions to intoxicate and redirect public opinion, polarizing societies and generating a la carte frames of hatred,” the same sources point out.

The challenge of the cycle is to generate reflection and debate, “to consolidate ourselves as a space for collective conversation on current issues”, and the one chosen for this February “is current in capital letters: we are going to review the state of health of democracies in a year, 2024, in which elections will be held in 74 countries, including those of the European Parliament”, according to Exodus.

The cycle ‘Dialogues without borders’ is an initiative promoted by the international reggae festival Rototom Sunsplash of Benicàssim, through its Cultural Association Exodus, to export the cultural machinery of the event to different cities of the Valencian Community and throughout the year with the goal of deseasonalizing the culture and weaving new alliances with the public.

After inaugurating the series last December at the Llotja del Cànem in Castelló with a debate on human rights, ‘Dialogues without Borders’ made the leap to Valencia for the first time on January 26 to share a debate on religions and peace in the Aula Magna of the La Nau Cultural Center. Democracy in the face of the check of “technological despotism” is the focus of the third incursion of the itinerant cycle. A session in collaboration with the Universitat Jaume I of Castelló and its Department of Practical Ethics and Democracy.