Regulatory Innovations and Policy Options for Synthetic Media and Digital Democracy

Authors

Andrew McIntyre
University of Amsterdam
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3683-7585
Yasaman Yousefi
University of Bologna
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1483-2978
María Dolores Sánchez Galera
Charles III University of Madrid
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5674-6915
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18690/um.feri.2.2026.8

Synopsis

This chapter explores potential regulatory innovations and policy options for addressing the democratic risks and opportunities of AI-generated content (AIGC) within the European context. Drawing upon and responding to discussions in previous chapters, it argues that current policy approaches centred on the detection, moderation and containment of AIGC are not only insufficient but also risk reinforcing authoritarian tendencies. Instead, the chapter outlines a policy strategy that emphasizes political participation and pluralism as a means of promoting democratic resilience and addressing the specific harms of AIGC. This strategy is oriented around three key objectives: (i) clarifying AIGC harms, (ii) strengthening institutional coordination, and (iii) enhancing digital literacy and citizenship. Key to this strategy is the reconceptualization of generative AI as a creative and expressive tool for promoting more inclusive political dialogue and democratic debate. Ultimately, this chapter envisions a future in which GenAI is not solely understood as a threat to democracy but as a resource for fostering a more trustworthy information environment and political system. It is a future where truth may become increasingly difficult to determine, but in which our democratic values nonetheless remain protected and strengthened.

Author Biographies

Andrew McIntyre, University of Amsterdam

Andrew McIntyre is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Amsterdam’s Institute for Logic, Language and Computation. His research examines the socio-political implications of AI-generated media and sits at the intersection of media philosophy, philosophy of technology, and AI ethics. McIntyre holds a PhD in Film and Television Studies and has previously taught and conducted research at the University of Stirling, University of Glasgow, and Humboldt University of Berlin. His forthcoming monograph, Art and Authorship in the AI Spring, explores the emergence of modern AI art through the lens of media philosophy and the work of Vilém Flusser.

Amsterdam, the Netherlands. E-mail: a.mcintyre@uva.nl 

Yasaman Yousefi, University of Bologna

Yasaman Yousefi is a researcher at DEXAI-Artificial Ethics in Rome and the University of Bologna in Italy. She collaborates as co-editor of the SOLARIS project and co-author of the introductory chapter. Her work focuses on ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence, synthetic media, and digital justice issues. She contributes to interdisciplinary research on positive AI technology applications and to developing ethical guidelines for responsible use of generative models in social contexts.

Bologna, Italy. E-mail: yasaman.yousefi@dexai.eu

María Dolores Sánchez Galera, Charles III University of Madrid

María Dolores Sánchez Galera, she is research professor and member of the “Pascual Madoz” Land, Urbanism and Environment Institute at the University Carlos III (Madrid). Senior Research Advisor to the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development, Holy See. Member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Science Council. PhD cum laude, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, 2006 in Environmental Law and Fundamental Rights; LLM; LL B (Honours) Glasgow University. She is a Member of the Scientific Board of the Economy of Francesco. Her research interests are interdisciplinary, with a focus on integral human development, common good, energy transition, natural resources, education issues, political economy, AI governance and public policies, and every interrelated social justice matter.

Madrid, Spain. E-mail: mariadsa@inst.uc3m.es

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Volume

Deepfakes, Democracy, and the Ethics of Synthetic Media: A Synthesis of the SOLARIS Project

Pages

159-180

Published

February 10, 2026

Categories

Copyright (c) 2026 University of Maribor, University of Maribor Press

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

McIntyre, A., Yousefi, Y., & Sánchez Galera, M. D. (2026). Regulatory Innovations and Policy Options for Synthetic Media and Digital Democracy. In Y. Yousefi, L. Conover, I. Mlakar, & F. Russo (Eds.), Deepfakes, Democracy, and the Ethics of Synthetic Media: A Synthesis of the SOLARIS Project (pp. 159-180). University of Maribor Press. https://doi.org/10.18690/um.feri.2.2026.8