Archive · 24 conversations in Artificial intelligence
Interviews and field notes from people building new forms of democratic practice.
Paul Nemitz examines how concentrated control over data, infrastructure and AI can weaken democratic life, and argues that these technologies are not politically neutral. Drawing on his experience with the GDPR and other EU digital legislation, he discusses regulatory enforcement, the limits of trea
Thomas Lorenz discusses Brief nach Berlin, an open-source, AI-assisted tool that helps citizens identify the appropriate political representative, draft a letter about a local concern and then copy it by hand. The conversation uses this practical project to examine how civic technology can lower bar
Olivier Schulbaum discusses how Platoniq and Goteo connect civic technology, culture, social innovation and democratic experimentation. He examines citizen assemblies through affective legitimacy, enclave deliberation and art-based methods, arguing that those most affected should help set the agenda
Ryan Koch, host of Civic Tech Chat, joins Alessandro Oppo for a cross-podcast conversation about how civic tech has evolved from volunteer networks into a professional field—and how AI is changing what people can build for the public good.
Gianluca Misuraca of Inspiring Futures Europe, coordinator of the European Union AI Skills Academy, discusses how foresight can help societies shape technological change. He explains why democratic control of AI depends on digital sovereignty, public-sector skills, interoperability, better procureme
Alvaro Oleart is an academic researcher at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. In this episode, he discusses citizen assemblies, EU participation, Big Tech, AI, collective actors, social movements, and why democratic innovation should avoid depoliticized shortcuts.
Alberto Fernandez Gibaja leads International IDEA's global work on technology and democracy. In this episode, he reflects on digital sovereignty, AI governance, data rights, representative democracy, political parties, and why democratic societies need political will to shape technology.
Simon Horton is a negotiation expert and author of The End of Conflict. In this episode, he discusses collaborative negotiation, political conflict, peace processes, deliberative democracy, and the potential role of AI in helping societies resolve disputes.
Kenobit, also known as Fabio, discusses why decentralized social networks and the fediverse are not just a technical alternative to commercial platforms, but a political issue. In this conversation, we talk about Mastodon, ActivityPub, algorithms, engagement, moderation, non-proprietary digital spac
Alice Casiraghi is a systemic designer working on sustainability, circular economy, regenerative systems, and public services. She is a European Climate Pact Ambassador, teaches at Politecnico di Milano and created Climate Cards to educate on environmental impacts. Through her systemic approach, she
Yuting Jiang explains the Agora Citizen Network and the use of Polis-style, bridging-based algorithms to surface areas of agreement across divided groups. The conversation explores how online participation can avoid simple majority logic, identify constructive consensus, and support democratic processes where citizens contribute ideas without being reduced to partisan camps.
Simone Maria Parazzoli discusses the Agentic State and the possibility that algorithms could transform how governments operate. The conversation examines AI agents, administrative capacity, public services, democratic oversight, and the tension between more responsive state systems and the need to keep political authority accountable to citizens.
