Agenda
Social:
Cybersecurity Horizons 2026: Deepfakes & Democracy — Real Threat or Overhyped Fear?
Hosted by the UM-Flint Center for Cybersecurity on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Gloria Coles Flint Public Library, C.S. Mott Foundation Community Room. Below is the full program schedule.
| Time | Program |
|---|---|
| 10:30 – 11 a.m. | Registration |
| Session 1 Moderator: Lucine Jarrah | |
| 11:10 – 11:40 a.m. | AI and National Security: Strengthening Cyber Resilience Across Government and Industry Jennifer Tisdale, Director and Event Co-Chair, National Defense Industrial Association – Michigan Chapter |
| 11:40 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. | Front-Door and Backdoor Vulnerabilities in AI Systems Rada Mihalcea, Janice M. Jenkins Collegiate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor |
| 12:10 – 12:45 p.m. | Defending Democracy with AI-Powered Audio Forensics Hafiz Malik, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Michigan-Dearborn |
| 12:50 – 1:30 p.m. | Lunch and State of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Commercialization at the University of Michigan-Flint Khalid Malik, Director, UM-Flint Center for Cybersecurity; Professor of Computer Science |
| Session 2 Moderator: Dr. Khalid Malik | |
| 1:30 – 2:10 p.m. | Biometrics in an AI World: Opportunities and Challenges Arun Ross, Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Michigan State University |
| 2:10 – 2:50 p.m. | Deepfakes, Disinformation, and Democracy: Protecting Public Trust in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Barbara McQuade, Professor from Practice, University of Michigan Law School |
| 2:50 – 3:20 p.m. | The Future of Trust: Reputation, Deepfakes, and Democracy Paul Resnick, Michael D. Cohen Collegiate Professor of Information, University of Michigan School of Information |
| 3:20 – 3:30 p.m. | Break |
| 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. | Panel Discussion — Deepfakes & Democracy: Real Threat or Overhyped Fear? (Symposium Theme) Panelists: Paul Resnick, Barbara McQuade, Rada Mihalcea, Hafiz Malik |
Note: Times and speakers are subject to change. Please check with the organizers for the final program.
Presented in partnership with the UM-Flint College of Innovation & Technology and the University of Michigan Initiative for Democracy & Civic Empowerment.