"The advent of sophisticated agentic AI marks a tremendous advance in the potential for widespread psychological manipulation, where insidious tactics can be automated, scaled, and deployed with unprecedented precision."
ADVANCING PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY IN THE AGE OF AI
Agentic AI, powered by advanced machine learning, is creating a new frontier for psychological influence. We face the imminent return of tactics reminiscent of the Stasi's Zersetzung – designed to demoralize, gaslight, and destabilize individuals and societies from within – now automated, scalable, and deployable with unprecedented precision by state and non-state actors alike.
These systems can engage in adaptive persuasion, create compelling supernormal stimuli in AI-human relationships fostering dependency, and execute sophisticated demoralization campaigns. Exploiting hidden model backdoors for covert influence, AI is becoming a potent tool for hybrid conflict, targeted social engineering, and the spread of disinformation. Threat actors – from terrorists and cybercriminals to hostile states and bad-faith activists – are poised to weaponize these capabilities.
The power of machine learning to understand, predict, and influence human behavior is immense. While holding vast potential for good, the capacity for abuse in creating targeted psychological distress, manipulating public opinion, and undermining trust is a clear and present danger. This emerging field of Psychosecurity demands immediate, focused attention from all stakeholders. Corporate and national security sectors face an urgent need to counter these novel threats to protect critical infrastructure, intellectual property, and democratic processes.
Recognizing these rapidly escalating risks, a collective of practitioners and researchers is convening The Psychosecurity Summit in Autumn/Winter 2025 (Day-long, Date TBC) in London.
Nell Watson: An engineer, ethicist, and leading expert in machine intelligence, AI safety, and the philosophy of technology. Nell, author of Taming the Machine, and co-author of the upcoming Safer Agentic AI, has pioneered research into AI-induced psychological effects and the emerging field of Psychosecurity, frequently advising on the societal impact of advanced AI.
Simona Brian: An accomplished entrepreneur and event specialist with deep expertise in organizational psychology and the successful execution of high-impact international forums. Simona brings strategic planning and operational excellence to complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.
This intensive, invite-only event will bring together leading security specialists, AI ethicists, policymakers (including military and intelligence representatives), and technologists to address the critical challenges of Psychosecurity.
Deep-dive into AI-driven Zersetzung, supernormal stimuli, manipulation vectors, gaslighting, and demoralization tactics.
Explore technical, policy, and educational countermeasures to protect psychological integrity and societal resilience.
Lay the groundwork for a global coalition to establish norms and best practices against malicious psychological AI applications.
Organizations at the vanguard of AI research, development, and ethical deployment have a pivotal role in addressing the societal implications of these powerful technologies. The Psychosecurity Summit's objectives – to understand and mitigate AI-driven psychological risks – directly support the responsible advancement of artificial intelligence.
This summit provides an unparalleled platform for thought leadership, enabling your organization to demonstrate a strong commitment to proactively addressing complex societal challenges. Participation underscores a shared responsibility in navigating the psychological impact of advanced AI and contributes tangibly to shaping a safer digital future.
We believe this summit is of particular interest and critical importance to:
The Psychosecurity Summit is a grassroots initiative driven by urgent need and expert dedication. We are seeking partners to help make this crucial event a success. Opportunities include venue hosting, sponsorship, and expert contributions.
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