Harmful technological systems threaten democracy in 2025 and have also done so in the past. Scholarship has shown that there is a relationship between social media and critical trends driving toxic polarization and populism. The collapse of truth due to disinformation and the rise of digital echo chambers due to the algorithmic sortition of content have empowered authoritarian leaders to undermine democratic institutions. This in turn has resulted in the growth of perception gaps as communities assume the worst of each other and lack opportunities, processes and tools to hear diverse views on public issues. Applying harmful technology systems to try and bring communities together towards deliberative democracy is no longer possible and in an effort to unlearn harmful technology systems, new commitments and innovations to support public deliberations are emerging in response to these trends.

This session will showcase the findings and lessons from a digital deliberative program implemented in Sudan and Kenya using three deliberative technologies (Talk to the City, Polis, and Remesh) and offline engagement, highlighting how these new technologies are challenging authoritarian efforts to stifle public debate during conflict. By moving away from harmful technology systems that have been used in the past to try and engage the public, this session will compare how toxic the conversations are in these harmful system and how safe and inclusive they are in deliberative technologies. The participants shall also be taken through a deliberative process discussing a contentious issue using the one of the deliberative technology tools to fully grasp how they can be applied in a real world setting