Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa knows firsthand the impact that disinformation can have on elections and free societies. As a seasoned journalist based in the Philippines, she has seen the corrosive effect that falsehoods spread on social media have had on public acceptance of the truth and how it has enabled rising autocracy around the world. Join the head of Aspen Digital, Vivian Schiller, in an intimate conversation with one of the most compelling champions of democracy of our time.

New York Times tech columnist Kevin Roose has been at the forefront of explaining the fundamentals of web3, inspiring us to ask: Can we transform the internet to help democracy thrive? “Yes,” says civic entrepreneur and Project Liberty founder Frank McCourt. In this session, Frank and Kevin will discuss the potential of web3 and how Project Liberty is harnessing the Decentralized Social Networking Protocol (DSNP)—as well as effective governance and engaged citizens—to transform how the internet works; fix social media and what it has broken; and build a more democratic web, economy, and society.

Many believe technology to be neutral, free of human biases and prejudices. But technology is a human construct—an extension of ourselves—and algorithms will often reproduce our biases to disastrous effect. Three advocates of algorithmic justice elevate how we can build the next generation of the web with social justice at the forefront.

Using dance and projection mapping, choreographer Nina McNeely has designed a surrealist exploration of the unconscious mind juxtaposed to the digital reality. Through it, we are asked, what does it mean to have a true sense of self? Where does the blurred line exist between where one begins and where the idea of oneself ends?

NYU social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues that social media has rewired society in ways that are incompatible with liberal democracy and mental health. Is he right? And if so, what’s to be done about? In this session, Jonathan talks with Washington Post social media reporter Naomi Nix about the challenges and opportunities ahead.