奥巴马：社会走向极端主义并非不可避免

前美国总统奥巴马在格拉斯哥OVO Hydro场馆向1.215万人发表演讲。1他指出，虽然社交媒体和信息平台近年来被"愤怒、恐惧、怨恨所驱动"，1但社会走向极端主义并非不可避免。1

奥巴马强调了监管与自由之间的平衡需求。1他引用第二次世界大战后美国和欧洲政府为防止宣传伤害而制定规则的历史先例，1主张需要在言论自由与监管之间找到"关键平衡"。1同时他警告，人工智能可能会加剧这一问题，使民众"难以分辨真伪，这将使民主难以运作"。1

尽管面对这些挑战，奥巴马对未来仍保持乐观。1他表示继续相信马丁·路德·金关于"道德宇宙的弧线虽长但终将弯向正义"的论述。1他认为社交媒体既可被用于推进民主和人权，也可被仇恨团体所利用，关键在于社会如何选择。1这次演讲是他在英国三场演讲活动的一部分。1

Former US President Barack Obama delivered remarks to 12,150 people at Glasgow's OVO Hydro venue, contending that despite recent trends toward inflammatory content on digital platforms, society's movement toward extremism is not predetermined.1 Obama stated that "social media and the proliferation of information are driven by outrage, fear, and resentment," yet emphasized that this trajectory can be altered through deliberate action.1

Drawing on historical precedent, Obama referenced post-World War II efforts by American and European governments to establish safeguards against propaganda's harms, suggesting similar institutional frameworks are needed today.1 He cautioned that artificial intelligence could worsen the problem by making it difficult for people to distinguish fact from falsehood, thereby undermining democratic function.1 Despite these challenges, Obama maintained his faith in Martin Luther King Jr.'s conviction that "the arc of the moral universe, though long, bends toward justice."1

Central to Obama's message was the need to strike what he described as a "critical balance" between protecting freedom of expression and implementing necessary regulatory mechanisms.1 He acknowledged that social media platforms can serve both democratic and destructive purposes—advancing human rights while simultaneously being exploited by hate groups—requiring new institutional approaches to navigate this tension.1 Obama's remarks formed part of a three-event speaking tour across the United Kingdom.