Ash Center logo

Video  

Building a Digital Democracy with Audrey Tang and Megan Smith

The “Building a Digital Democracy” panel brought together Audrey Tang, Megan Smith, Professor Danielle Allen, and Professor Mathias Risse for a conversation on how technology is being used to transform our political institutions.

By:

Programs

Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation,  GETTING-Plurality

Issues

Democracy and AI

This fall, the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation, Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, and Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies convened a panel conversation in the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum on “Building a Digital Democracy” featuring Professor Danielle Allen, Professor Mathias Risse, Audrey Tang (Former Taiwan Minister of Digital Affairs), and Megan Smith (Former United States Chief Technology Officer). The panel aimed to explore how technology is being used to transform political institutions, civil society, and political culture to support more representative, transparent, responsive, and participatory democracy, and how these infrastructures can be designed to protect individual human rights and democratic systems.

A few key themes from the conversation included:

  • Participatory Governance: Engaging citizens and communities in decision-making processes is vital to creating a sense of empowerment and ownership and to building stronger civic muscle. Panelists discussed how those closest to an issue have some of the best ideas for solving it, and shared examples from participatory budgeting and other citizen initiatives. Smith and Tang discussed how experiences such as a Presidential Hackathon in Taiwan or Open Data Hackathon in the U.S. helped to bridge folks from private and public sectors to cross-pollinate ideas. Taiwan’s hackathon included a commitment that the state would consider the winning hackathon idea as a digital infrastructure project for investment. Along with hackathons, both panelists emphasized the need to provide “air cover” to lower the risk for people to experiment with and tackle issues.
  • Civic Education: Educating young people about technology and civic engagement is important for preparing leaders to actively participate in democracy. Smith encouraged people to do a “rotation” through the government, moving from the technology sector into government and vice versa to bring in best practices and new perspectives.
  • Trust and Transparency: In order to gain public confidence, governments must demonstrate transparency and accountability. Tang shared an example from Taiwan’s efforts to rebuild trust in the administration, emphasizing the message that “trust is not that we work for the people, but rather we work with the people.” Reverse audit capabilities offer accountability for citizens to have more transparency into their government.

 

Watch the full event below:

More from this Program

Weaponized AI: A New Era of Threats and How We Can Counter It

Commentary

Weaponized AI: A New Era of Threats and How We Can Counter It

Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation Fellow Dr. Shlomit Wagman lays out a framework to address the threats artificial intelligence poses to global security and democratic institutions.

Why US States Are the Best Labs for Public AI

Additional Resource

Why US States Are the Best Labs for Public AI

In a recent piece for Tech Policy Press, Allen Lab Senior Fellow Alex Pascal and Nathan Sanders outline how US states are well-positioned to lead the development of Public AI. State governments can act as “laboratories of twenty-first century democracy” to experiment with AI applications that directly benefit citizens.

Understanding DOGE and Your Data
DOGE

Additional Resource

Understanding DOGE and Your Data

Over the past several weeks, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) within the Trump Administration has been embedding staff in a range of United States federal agencies. These staff have gained access to data maintained by the federal government. This guide explains what is in the data, what DOGE is doing with it, and why it matters to all Americans.

More on this Issue

AI on the Ballot: How Artificial Intelligence Is Already Changing Politics
An American flag in the background with a robot hand holding a ballot box

Commentary

AI on the Ballot: How Artificial Intelligence Is Already Changing Politics

At a recent Ash Center panel, experts and AI developers discuss how AI’s influence on politics has evolved over the years. They examine the new tools available to politicians, the role of humans in AI’s relationship with governance, and the values guiding the design of these technologies.

Weaponized AI: A New Era of Threats and How We Can Counter It

Commentary

Weaponized AI: A New Era of Threats and How We Can Counter It

Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation Fellow Dr. Shlomit Wagman lays out a framework to address the threats artificial intelligence poses to global security and democratic institutions.

Why US States Are the Best Labs for Public AI

Additional Resource

Why US States Are the Best Labs for Public AI

In a recent piece for Tech Policy Press, Allen Lab Senior Fellow Alex Pascal and Nathan Sanders outline how US states are well-positioned to lead the development of Public AI. State governments can act as “laboratories of twenty-first century democracy” to experiment with AI applications that directly benefit citizens.