Ukrainian AI Legal Expert Urges Youth Education to Combat Disinformation at Internet Governance Forum

Ukrainian AI Legal Expert Highlights Disinformation Threat and Urges Youth Education at IGF 2025

Location: Lillestrøm, Norway | Date: 23–27 June 2025

Olha Petriv, a Ukrainian AI legal expert affiliated with the Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law and the Ministry of Digital Transformation’s Committee on AI Development, spoke at the 20th UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF). She focused on the mounting risks posed by artificial intelligence and digital platforms, including disinformation, algorithmic bias, and the lack of transparency and public oversight.

Legal Framework Grounded in Human Rights

In 2024, the Council of Europe adopted the Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law. This treaty is the first legally binding international agreement addressing AI, setting out obligations that emphasize transparency, accountability, non-discrimination, and human oversight. It also promotes inclusive public participation in the governance of AI systems affecting societies and individuals.

The treaty’s principles were a key focus at the IGF discussions, which examined how rights-based governance models can be applied to AI and digital platforms. Participants debated the role of digital platforms, AI-generated content governance, and the critical need for digital literacy to counter algorithmic manipulation.

Addressing AI-Driven Disinformation in Ukraine

Representing Ukraine with support from the Council of Europe’s “Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Media in Ukraine – Phase II” project, Olha Petriv addressed a panel on equality and inclusion in AI. She highlighted the escalating threat of AI-powered disinformation amid Russia’s ongoing war of aggression and foreign influence campaigns.

Petriv stressed the importance of protecting vulnerable groups, especially young people, from AI-driven misinformation. She said, “Strengthening AI literacy among youth is essential, as education remains the most effective defense against algorithmic manipulation.”

She emphasized that teaching children how algorithms work and encouraging critical evaluation of content is both a protective measure and an investment in sustaining democratic resilience. “Ukraine is actively developing ethical AI and has launched a national self-regulation initiative,” she added. “But this alone isn’t enough unless we also educate the next generation. If we don’t teach children how to think, someone else will teach them what to think.”

Challenges in AI Governance and Media Integrity

Petriv pointed out a widening gap between AI advancements and the public’s capacity to identify and counter manipulative content. This gap is exacerbated by limited digital literacy, weak voluntary self-regulation incentives, and insufficient oversight of foreign digital platforms in Ukraine, many of which spread disinformation and propaganda.

Her IGF participation builds on her ongoing work in international AI governance. Previously, she contributed legal proposals to the Council of Europe’s Committee on Artificial Intelligence, focusing on transparency, accountability, and inclusive oversight mechanisms. These proposals reflect Ukraine’s experience with hybrid threats and the need for safeguards in fast-changing digital environments.

Future Engagements and Training Initiatives

Looking forward, Petriv will serve as an expert in training early-career Ukrainian journalists on the ethical and legal aspects of AI use in journalism. This work aims to balance AI’s innovative potential with the need to maintain content integrity and public trust.

The Council of Europe’s “Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Media in Ukraine – II Phase” project is part of the broader Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023-2026.

Further Learning

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