Detoxing Democracy: Lessons from the SAMbot Project

Toxicity in digital political spaces is hindering representation and participation in our democracy. It affects not only who enters politics but also who stays. In this presentation, Sabreena Delhon, Executive Director of the Samara Centre for Democracy, will share findings from the SAMbot project, which used AI to track toxicity received on Twitter by candidates and political party leaders during the recent Canadian federal election. Over the course of five weeks, SAMbot analyzed two million tweets. What do the results illuminate about barriers to civic engagement in our society and ways to make politics more accessible, responsive, and inclusive?

Sabreena Delhon is the Executive Director of the Samara Centre for Democracy. She is an experienced public sector leader with a proven track record of directing multi-stakeholder research and outreach initiatives across justice, academic, and non-profit sectors. Sabreena is a Fellow with Simon Fraser University’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue and Massey College.

The 2nd Annual Conference on Communication Ethics is brought to you by the School of Communication & Culture at Royal Roads University.

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