Can we rebuild the Internet for democracy?

At the 2026 Munich Security Conference, entrepreneur and Project Liberty founder Frank McCourt makes the case that the internet, and the AI systems rapidly reshaping it, must be redesigned to serve people, not platforms.

McCourt argues that today’s tech ecosystem is built on centralized, surveillance-driven incentives that clash with democratic values. As the world shifts from an app-based web to an “agentic” one powered by AI agents, he says we’re at a rare moment to rethink the architecture of the internet itself.

What would it mean to own your digital data? Could sovereign AI agents act as fiduciaries for individuals? And can innovation and democracy coexist in the next era of technology?

This conversation is presented by GZERO Media in partnership with Microsoft. The Global Stage series convenes global leaders for critical conversations on the geopolitical forces reshaping our world.