A blueprint for using AI to strengthen democracy
AI is changing what it means to be a democratic citizen. Here’s how we can harness it for good.
TL;DR
- Historical shifts in information technology have reshaped societies and governance.
- AI is emerging as a primary interface for belief formation and democratic participation.
- AI agents could mediate the relationship between individuals and governing institutions.
- Personalized AI agents pose risks of polarization and radicalization, similar to social media algorithms.
- The interaction of millions of AI agents could lead to unintended collective biases.
- A public sphere dominated by personalized AI agents risks becoming a collection of private worlds, hindering democratic deliberation.
- Current democratic institutions are not equipped for the changes AI brings.
- AI companies should ensure truthful AI outputs and explore AI's potential to reduce polarization.
- AI-assisted fact-checking may offer cross-partisan credibility.
- AI agents must faithfully represent users without having their own agenda or shielding users from uncomfortable information.
- Policymakers should harness AI for responsive governance and implement identity verification for humans and AI agents in public input processes.
- A new generation of democratic infrastructure, both technological and institutional, is needed.