Maria Ressa
Co-Founder and CEO, Rappler, Nobel Peace laureate (2021)
Maria Ressa, 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is co-founder and CEO of Rappler, a digital news platform, as well as a leading voice on the societal impact of AI on democracy. Her work focuses on how AI and digital platforms shape the global information ecosystem, exposing the ways these technologies can be weaponized to spread misinformation and erode democratic institutions. As vice chair of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum and a 2023–2024 Carnegie Distinguished Fellow at Columbia University’s Institute for Global Politics, Ressa has examined governance frameworks for AI and its implications for free expression and accountability. Her research and advocacy highlight the critical need for ethical AI development to protect democratic values.