Borislav Vilarov
Sofia University “St. Uliment Ohridski”
Manager of ProImage and Communication, Ltd
E-mail: vilarowbg62@gmail.com
Abstract: The article examines the problem of using algorithms and information technologies in politics and election campaigns since the 1940s. The term “political cyber marketing” is introduced and defined for the first time. The topic is significant in view of the influence of information technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in every sphere of human activity. The scandals surrounding the impact of computer propaganda and microtargeting of advertisements and messages during Brexit campaign and the 2016 US presidential election in addition to the hybrid warfare that authoritarian regimes are waging against democratic societies raise both ethical questions about the limits of artificial intelligence influence and the need for regulation, control and education of citizens about how new technologies influence their choices in the democratic process and the public debate on current topics. In the 2020s, the USA, the UK, the EU, China and other countries introduce regulations on the use of artificial intelligence in order to reduce potential risks and stimulate its development.
Keywords: algorithms, information technology, political cyber marketing, microtargeting, social construction of public opinion, computer propaganda.
Rhetoric and Communications Journal, issue 60, July 2024