Tackling Technology’s Double-Edged Sword
Technology has become an inextricable part of our lives and realities, continually creating new spaces for communication and exchange of ideas. Clever and creative tools are constantly emerging, introducing new ways to spread messages and ideas and to influence societal narratives and perceptions–political, cultural and otherwise. Here in Israel, this is especially evident in light of the ongoing conflict, where online, coordinated disinformation has heavily impacted public perception of Israel’s legitimacy. It is crucial now more than ever to develop both technological and regulatory solutions to combat this erosive phenomenon.
In response to growing concerns about online disinformation’s threat to democratic stability, ISOC-IL proudly partnered with the Shamgar Center for Digital Law and Innovation in organizing the “Designing AI for Democracy” competition, alongside leading Israeli organizations from the tech, academic and professional sectors, including Microsoft Israel, Bright Data, the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, the Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center, the British Embassy in Israel, and Meitar Law Offices.
ISOC-IL CEO Yoram Hacohen and ISOC-IL VP of Research and Public Policy Asaf Wiener with His Excellency the President of the State of Israel Mr. Isaac Herzog, Mrs. Michal Herzog, and organizers and partners of the event.
The competition aimed to foster groundbreaking technological solutions to the phenomenon of online disinformation, inviting multidisciplinary teams to develop tools to combat the spread of disinformation and, in particular, coordinated online manipulation (CIB-Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior).
On November 6, we were honored to participate in the competition’s Grand Finale, hosted at the President’s Residence and attended by President Isaac Herzog. The event showcased the top projects tackling critical challenges of the digital age, culminating in the distribution of monetary awards, development grants, and opportunities for the winning teams to present their projects to potential investors and venture capital firms.
ISOC-IL played a key role in the competition, providing both financial support and hands-on involvement. Dr. Asaf Wiener, ISOC-IL’s VP of Research and Public Policy, contributed as a preliminary judge, while ISOC-IL’s CEO Yoram Hacohen presented an award and delivered remarks at the event. Yarden Amir, ISOC-IL’s Academic Relations Manager, supported and supervised the initiative from its inception through every stage, including the teams’ preparations for the finale.
Yoram Hacohen, CEO of ISOC-IL, awarding the Emerging Startup Prize to the winning team
Recognizing Excellence
Out of 51 submissions, seven exceptional teams were selected by the competition’s organizers to present their proposals at the finale. Projects ranged from AI tools identifying disinformation patterns and incendiary narratives to systems detecting foreign CIB on social media. At the finale, the finalists showcased their projects before a distinguished panel of judges: Hila Rom, Yasmin Lukatz, Sarit Firon, and Esther Barak Landes.
The Pre-Seed Stage Winner: “Influence Blocker” by Inbar and Nitsan Yasur. This project addresses the urgent issue of foreign interference and disinformation through private social media communication channels, offering a solution to expose covert activities while safeguarding the security, privacy, and freedom of expression of Israeli citizens.
His Excellency President Isaac Herzog and Michal Herzog with Pre-Seed Stage winners Inbar and Nitsan Yasur for Influence Blocker project
The Emerging Startup Winner: “VerifAI” by Dtect. This project leverages AI to conduct advanced textual analysis for real-time fact-checking and verification, enhancing the reliability of digital information and combating misinformation online.
His Excellency President Isaac Herzog with Emerging Startup Winner Dtect for VerifAI project
The outstanding projects at the competition are shining examples of the power of cross-sector collaboration to tackle societal challenges. They emphasize the vital role of supporting and developing technological solutions that not only meet today’s needs but also pave the way for a better tomorrow.
Building a Stronger Digital Future
Throughout the competition, ISOC-IL forged valuable connections with leading tech partners, including Microsoft Israel and Bright Data, alongside prominent academic and professional organizations. By combining expertise from the hi-tech sector, academia, and civil society organizations, this collaboration deepened the pool of shared knowledge, creativity and impactfulness to address the pressing challenges at our door, such as disinformation and fake news, and to develop tools to safeguard Israel’s digital landscape.
We look forward to continuing our efforts to support technological innovation for a safer, more resilient online environment.