Original, shortened letter published November 11, 2024 here.

In the wake of the recent Boston Globe editorial board article about Massachusetts' extraordinary lack of legislative transparency, residents have decisively voted to grant the state auditor oversight authority. Now the legislature should copy California's innovative use of AI to enable greater transparency quickly and effectively

In real time, the investigative journalism group CalMatters uses AI in their California Digital Democracy project to transform legislative videos into searchable transcripts, linking statements to campaign contributions, voting patterns, and bill information.

CalMatters then uses AI to identify potential story leads and patterns – for example, when legislators' votes contradict their typical voting record or highlight unusual patterns in campaign contributions. They deploy AI to compile these insights automatically into "tip sheets" that help reporters, especially those new to covering the legislature, quickly report on newsworthy developments. 

The impact has been immediate - legislators are more thoughtful in their public statements, more likely to explain their votes, and more accountable to constituents. For example, the revelation that Democratic lawmakers vote "no" less than 1% of the time (preferring, instead, to refrain from voting at all) has come to light and is leading to a discussion of rule changes.

The project's website provides a user-friendly portal for the public to access information about the legislature, including legislator profiles, bill summaries, and hearing transcripts, leading to a better understanding of the legislative process.

Without waiting for the auditor, the Massachusetts legislature should: 1) systematically record and publish videos of all proceedings; and 2) appropriate funds to implement a similar system, building on the open source code from California. 

CalMatters estimates that the cost to replicate their AI-enabled system is no more than 50K, a modest cost with enormous gains for transparency and accountability. 

We can use our own AI-trained students right here in Boston from programs like Northeastern's InnovateMA AI coop, where students build AI for Mass government partners, to create such a platform from California’s open source code.

Massachusetts, once a pioneer in democratic governance, now has the chance to leverage AI and local talent to go from worst to first in legislative transparency.