In brief
In a packed venue at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro, Barack Obama warned that social media’s rise to stoke anger and fear does not doom society to extremism. He cited post‑World War II lessons and current regulations that hold platforms accountable for misinformation. The former president stressed the role of hope as a deliberate choice and urged audiences to act to keep democracy alive. He linked AI’s potential to obscure truth to an even greater risk for pluralistic discourse, calling for new institutions to safeguard balanced debate.
Barack Obama addressed a packed crowd at Glasgow's OVO Hydro, warning that while online platforms increasingly focus on anger and fear, the slide toward extremism is not inevitable.
Speaking to 12,150 people, the former president explained how social media originally promised "minority empowerment." He noted that the same tools can amplify hate, but also can mobilise people for democracy and human rights.
Obama drew on post‑World War II lessons, saying governments have recognised the dangers of propaganda and now hold platforms responsible for misinformation. He cautioned that AI could make truth harder to distinguish, threatening democratic function.
Despite the challenges, the ex‑president stressed hope as a deliberate choice. "It is whether we believe change is possible," he said, urging audiences to act for a better world.
He concluded that people have a tendency to forget past lessons, becoming complacent when hateful rhetoric is trivialised. "Continuing to confront this cycle," he added, "keeps democracy alive."
