Most Americans associate the year 1776 with the country’s independence, but much more happened that year. Scottish inventor Thomas Watt introduced an improved steam engine that started the industrial revolution. published by Adam Smith Wealth of nationsproviding a fresh vision of the economy. This convergence of transformative technological, economic and political activity completely reshaped the way people lived, worked and governed themselves. It was a time when leaders were re-imagining the very purpose of our fledgling democratic institutions and how to proceed in a way that is best for all citizens.
Almost 250 years later, we find ourselves at a similar convergence. The introduction and rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) presents our society with unprecedented challenges, but also opportunities that, if approached thoughtfully, could strengthen Americans’ engagement in the democratic process.
Today, we still have the power to direct AI toward useful results. But we must act quickly because the decisions we make today will shape the institutions that govern generations to come.
First, it is important to identify the challenges. In 2024, much of the core infrastructure (our laws, institutions, policies and systems) has not kept pace with the rapidly changing technological landscape. The adoption of computing, the Internet, multilateral networks, globalization, and data-driven decision-making have catalyzed the transformation of almost every aspect of our lives. And now, the capabilities offered by AI will further accelerate that transformation due to its widespread application.
There is currently a widening gap between the technical capabilities of technologies like large language models and what most people, including governments, actually do with them. These tools are already beginning to shape our discourse and will soon have an even greater impact, which is why it is critical that we remain actively involved in guiding their direction.
Modern Federalist Papers
In an effort to guide the key decisions that lie before us as a society, we borrowed the concept The Federalist Papers, a series of essays written in the late 18th century that analyzed the great challenges of the day and provided a roadmap for institutional innovation for young America. We decided it was time for another gathering of leading thinkers who could offer ideas on how we should approach governance in the age of artificial intelligence. We asked 19 authors what they thought and gathered their answers in a collection of essays that we call The Digitalist Papers.
Unlike The Federalist Papersit was not our goal to persuade the readers to take a predetermined action (in their case, advocating for the ratification of the Constitution). Rather, our goal has been to highlight the voices of diverse experts who have informed and well-researched ideas and present a range of solutions to a range of related topics. The authors represent diverse fields—including economics, law, technology, management, and political science—along with industry and civil society leaders.
This is important because a thoughtful examination of AI-enabled developments in relation to our institutions requires us to focus our attention on those institutions and ask whether they are still fit for purpose in all respects and whether they can benefit from AI or other changes. . This is daunting research that requires deep expertise and collaboration across academic disciplines.
(Another thing worth noting: the authors didn’t see each other’s work before publication.) Here’s what we learned:
- AI has the power to make governance more inclusive and technologically integrated: A group of essays called for a significant shift in the way artificial intelligence is intertwined with the democratic process. Ideas included AI-driven collaborative governance, using AI to scale up direct democracy by amplifying citizens’ voices, and using digital tools to advance hyper-local community-focused engagement.
- AI is forcing us to rethink how we organize our government: Some authors have focused on how the failure of our government to deliver the services citizens expect will lead to civic disengagement, and how the adoption of artificial intelligence—as well as the broader adoption of technology aimed at meeting the needs of citizens—can help restore the faith that government is for people.
- The regulation of artificial intelligence is arguably more important than the technology itself: Three authors focused on the role of regulation, stating that the processes by which we currently regulate do not support something as dynamic and transformative as artificial intelligence, that we may be exaggerating the influence of artificial intelligence on information and thereby undermining trust in all media, regardless of its accuracy.
Given the wide range of perspectives, at times the authors offered conflicting ideas and different approaches. That’s by design. But the basis of each essay was that democracy and artificial intelligence can and should work well together; that our democratic institutions can be rebuilt and reinvented for the era of artificial intelligence.
A rapidly changing technology like artificial intelligence requires agility, openness, and the continued engagement of a diverse group of leaders in discussing and guiding the technology. It is not inevitable that AI will lead to more freedom and participation in democracy. If left unchecked, there is a chance that AI will change the way we govern in ways that the Founding Fathers found abhorrent. Therefore, it is our responsibility to approach these pressing issues with the belief that we have the agency to change this.
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