An inaugural lecture is a formal lecture given by a newly appointed professor or teaching professor to mark their official start in the role. It is an opportunity to present their research and academic journey to colleagues, students, and the public.

“Alternative Realities and the Future of Democracy”

Democracies don't just fail through coups or invasions—they can unravel when citizens lose a shared grip on truth. This talk traces how that happens, who is responsible, and what can realistically be done about it. Drawing on large-scale behavioral data and AI-based analysis of political rhetoric, a sobering picture emerges: elite narratives increasingly include falsehoods, which spread through social media ecosystems that are built to amplify them, and end up shaping real-world behavior—with measurable consequences for public health, social cohesion, and political stability. Nation-state actors are exploiting these dynamics deliberately, in part as a form of modern warfare. The platforms have tools to slow this down, but they choose not to in the name of growth. Tolerating misinformation in the name of free speech is not a neutral stance—it carries a steep and measurable price.

About Professor Anton Gollwitzer

Anton Gollwitzer is Professor of Psychology at BI Norwegian Business School, Co-Founder of the Center for Democracy and Information Integrity, and Associate Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development. His research utilizies large-scale data, AI, and behavioral experiments to study misinformation, political polarization, and the conditions under which democracies fracture—or hold. Find more information at antongollwitzer.com.