Rebooting Democracy in the Age of AI

Democracy needs a moonshot — and Beth Noveck's new book offers the blueprint. Launching next week from Yale University Press, Reboot: AI and the Race to Save Democracy makes the case that AI can strengthen democratic institutions when designed for public purpose, governed responsibly, and built to help governments listen, decide, and act more effectively. This special edition gathers the pre-launch conversation: Brookings TechTank with Darrell West, the Tavis Smiley Show, and Rick Flynn Presents, with feature interviews in Route Fifty and The Herald — alongside her new Reboot Democracy essay with José L. Martí, which critiques Habermolt, an experimental project that uses AI agents to deliberate and vote. Elana Banin sits down with Anya Kamenetz to ask why families have been largely absent from AI policy debates, and the Barcelona Public-Interest AI Accelerator team reflects on what it takes to train the next generation of AI-and-democracy leaders.

A new accelerator in Barcelona is exploring what it takes to prepare future leaders to navigate the emerging field of public-interest AI. The experience underscored that moving from principles to practice demands leaders who understand the technical, political, economic, and ethical dimensions of AI. Leaders who are equipped to ensure these technologies serve public goals, protect rights, and respond to the needs of diverse communities.

Beth Simone Noveck and José Marti critique Habermolt, an experimental project that uses AI agents to deliberate and vote on behalf of people. They argue that the project reflects a longstanding strain of democratic theory that views public participation as a problem rather than a resource. At a moment of declining trust and growing institutional challenges, there should be less focus on whether AI can simulate democracy and more on how it can help governments listen, learn, and solve problems with the public. This Essay is Part 1 of 2 by Noveck and Martí.