The cognitive war represents the greatest risk for the Republic of Moldova in the perspective of the upcoming elections, believes President Maia Sandu. At the Moldova Security Forum, the head of state declared that informational manipulation is becoming increasingly subtle, and the development of artificial intelligence facilitates the spread of false content, reports IPN.
Maia Sandu pointed out that cyber attacks, money used for buying politicians and other attempts at influence are dangerous, but cognitive warfare poses an even greater risk for Moldova and other democracies.
According to the president, Russia is hiring people in the Republic of Moldova to create networks through which false information is spread. She clarified that it takes time to demonstrate the connection between certain anonymous accounts and influence actions, however, behind these, there would be real people paid by Russia.
The head of state emphasized that the response to these threats must involve the entire society and the Government. At the same time, she said that dialogue with representatives of companies that own social networks is difficult, especially for a small country like the Republic of Moldova. Maia Sandu expressed her hope that the European Union will be able to impose stricter rules on social media platforms. According to her, the development of artificial intelligence complicates the situation, as it facilitates the manipulation of people and the distribution of false content.
At the forum, Maia Sandu also spoke about the objective of the Republic of Moldova to join the European Union. According to her, the authorities aim to finalize the negotiations and necessary activities by 2028, by signing the accession treaty, and the country to be prepared for accession by the end of this decade, in 2030.
The Moldova Security Forum takes place from October 8-9 and includes public sessions as well as meetings with restricted access. The event is organized by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Moldova, IPRE, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense and the NATO Liaison Office in the Republic of Moldova.
