Democracy Reimagined: AI as a Catalyst for Participatory Governance

The Ash Center’s Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation and the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy invite you to join a Towards Life 3.0 series webinar that will delve into the transformative potential of artificial intelligence for reshaping governance and strengthening democratic processes. AI’s capabilities in data analysis, predictive modeling, and efficient problem-solving present unprecedented opportunities for public administration but also for creating more participatory democracy. We will explore how AI can enhance policy-making, optimize public services, and foster greater civic engagement, thereby contributing to more responsive, transparent and engaged governance and explore how the relentless focus on “AI doomerism” may be hampering efforts to advance use of AI for social good. To be clear, the integration of AI into the fabric of our democratic institutions is not without its risks.

We will also critically examine the ethical implications, privacy concerns, and the potential for biases inherent in AI systems, especially the uncritical adoption of AI systems without human oversight, accountability and subject to democratic engagement. We will weigh these challenges against the benefits, contemplating the safeguards and policy frameworks necessary to ensure AI’s responsible use to deepen democracy and discuss how we can adopt a balanced approach to the end of using artificial intelligence to foster greater collective intelligence, deeper democracy and improved governance.

Panelists include: 

• Beth Noveck | Director, Burnes Center for Social Change; Professor at Northeastern University
• Mathias Risse (Moderator) | Faculty Director, Carr Center for Human Rights Policy
• Sarah Hubbard (Co-Moderator) | Senior Fellow, Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation