Policy Brief  

Putting Flourishing First: Applying Democratic Values to Technology

In this short web ethics research brief, the authors unpack and comment on the four-step logic at the core of GETTING-Plurality’s foundational white paper, Ethics of Decentralized Social Technologies: Lessons from Web3, the Fediverse, and Beyond. They outline four assertions from the paper that demonstrate the power and the challenge of web ethics – and above all, the urgency – of placing human flourishing at the center of technology governance.

By:

  • Kinney Zalesne
  • Nick Pyati

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A Roadmap for Governing AI: Technology Governance and Power-Sharing Liberalism

Open Access Resource

A Roadmap for Governing AI: Technology Governance and Power-Sharing Liberalism

This paper aims to provide a roadmap for governing AI. In contrast to the reigning paradigms, we argue that AI governance should be not merely a reactive, punitive, status-quo-defending enterprise, but rather the expression of an expansive, proactive vision for technology—to advance human flourishing.

The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley

Video

The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley

The Ash Center hosted an online book talk with author Marietje Schaake and discussant Bruce Schneier on Schaake’s latest work, The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley. The discussion was moderated by Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor and Director of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation.

The Role of AI in the 2024 Elections

Additional Resource

The Role of AI in the 2024 Elections

The year 2024 was dubbed “the largest election year in global history” with half the world’s population voting in national elections. Earlier this year, we hosted an event on AI and the 2024 Elections where scholars spoke about the potential influence of artificial intelligence on the election cycle– from misinformation to threats on election infrastructure. This webinar offered a reflection and exploration of the impacts of technology on the 2024 election landscape.

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AI-powered bots and electoral participation: a view from the Venezuelan experience
ballot box in front of a tech background with a robot arm reaching for the ballot from the upper right corner

Commentary

AI-powered bots and electoral participation: a view from the Venezuelan experience

Drawing from her experience deploying an AI-powered chatbot to share accurate voting information during Venezuela’s recent election, Isabella Picón explains how AI technologies can enhance electoral participation and support pro-democracy movements.

Unlocking AI’s potential for social movements
a blue background and several silhouettes of protestors are situated around a bunch of robot legs

Feature

Unlocking AI’s potential for social movements

Building effective channels for the interaction between AI developers and activist communities is critical for innovating social mobilization and strengthening civil society.