Building common ground
for the common good
Every day, we hear about AI in news headlines, social media, and conversations. It is constantly bubbling under the surface: the newest technology that will change our lives.
We hear about its potential to increase productivity and efficiency. We also hear about its risks automating jobs or disrupting elections or worse.
At the same time, in those same news headlines, we see greater threats to social cohesion and democracy.
There is a deepening polarization fostered by social media. There is a breakdown of civil discourse and disillusionment with the U.S. political system. People feel less agency to shape decisions that affect them.
In the current climate, it can be hard to have a conversation with a neighbor who has a different perspective on a controversial topic.
We need to shift these dynamics.
We need new tools to discover shared values
and co-create solutions.
In this current political climate, imagine if we could use AI technology to bring citizens together at scale to collaborate and find solutions to problems in their community. For example, we could ask:
What will improve access to essential health care for families?
How can we decrease gun violence in our schools to make them safer?
What will address homelessness in our city?
How does our neighborhood need to adapt due to climate change?
What projects do you want the city or state to fund?
Example Initiatives
Defines shared priorities and actions
Residents in Michigan determined spending priorities for their city budget–and then collectively advocated to local government
Creates alignment to inform social change
Citizens in Ontario shared barriers to healthcare access and generated recommendations–that informed advocacy to provincial health authorities
Enables community problem solving
In a large Midwestern city dealing with gun violence, the community shared personal experiences–and identified root causes and potential actions
