June Topic: "How AI Could Save Our Democratic Institutions”
5 p.m. EDT // 4 p.m. CDT // 3 p.m. MDT // 2 p.m. PDT // 1 p.m. AKDT
Presented in partnership with the Leagues of Women Voters of Alaska and Colorado
Beth Simone Noveck is a professor at Northeastern University, where she directs the Burnes Center for Social Change and its partner project, The Governance Lab (The GovLab). Beth's work focuses on using AI to reimagine participatory democracy and strengthen governance, and she has spent her career helping institutions incorporate more equitable and open ways of working using new technology. Her newest book Reboot: The Race to Save Democracy with AI will appear with Yale University Press.
At a time when more than seven in ten Americans say the future of our democracy is seriously threatened and only seven percent of young Americans see our democracy as healthy, Noveck argues that we stand at a crossroads. While artificial intelligence has emerged as a potential threat to democratic institutions, she makes the case that we can choose to use these powerful tools to reinforce rather than undermine our democracy. Drawing from her extensive experience building technology for government at every level—from the White House to state agencies—Noveck will outline her vision for "Democratic AI": systems designed to expand our collective capacity to gather knowledge, deliberate choices, and deliver public action. She'll share concrete examples of how AI can help us write better laws, deliver services more fairly, and create meaningful opportunities for civic participation, while addressing the urgent need to treat democratic renewal as both a moral imperative and a solvable design challenge.
Beth is the author of the new book, Reboot Democracy: How AI Can Save Our Institutions. Previously, Beth served in the White House as the first United States Deputy Chief Technology Officer under President Obama, where she founded the White House Open Government Initiative. She has also served as senior advisor for Open Government to UK Prime Minister David Cameron and on Chancellor Angela Merkel's Digital Council. Currently appointed as New Jersey's first Chief AI Strategist by Governor Phil Murphy, she previously served as the state's Chief Innovation Officer from 2018-2024.
Suggested reading:
- How AI could restore our faith in democracy, Fast Company
- Better Government tech is possible, WIRED
- Civic and Democratic AI: A New Course for Community Action
About the series:
Disinformation. Conspiracy theories. Extremism. Surveillance. Our democracy is threatened as never before by toxic online content. The social media giants seem unable, or in some cases unwilling, to control the flood of lies and manipulative practices. The staggering — often hidden — reach of Big Tech into our lives endangers civil society, our civil rights, and our privacy. In a "post-truth" world we risk losing the shared understanding that underpins our democracy.
Each month, we explore a different facet of this crisis with guest experts. Join us to learn, discuss, and work on possible solutions.