Upcoming Events
Rethinking Reading: AI for Literacy Achievement – beginning January 22, 2025
Grounded in the science of reading, the science of learning, and research-based practices, this free series showcases how innovative leaders are using AI to advance literacy. Learn more and register here.
AI and the Future of Lawmaking: Innovation at the Library of Congress with Natalie Buda Smith - Reboot Democracy, January 23, 2025 at 5pm ET.
Join us as we talk to Natalie Buda Smith about work underway at the Library of Congress using AI to improve legislative operations and lawmaking practices.
The Peacemaking Machine with MIT and Deepmind's Michael Henry Tessler and Michiel A. Bakker - Reboot Democracy, February 27, 2025 at 4 pm ET.
Join us for a conversation with MIT and Deepmind's Michael Henry Tessler and Michiel A. Bakker, to discuss how AI can transform democratic deliberation.
Rebooting Democracy in the Age of AI with Ed Bice of Meedan - Reboot Democracy, March 20, 2025 at 5 pm ET.
Join us as we speak with Ed Bice about how Meedan is using ai to improve credibility in online environments globally.
Register here: https://rebootdemocracy.ai/events
Governing AI
Beyond AI Regulation: New Executive Orders Show Government Embracing AI as Infrastructure – Reboot Democracy, by Beth Simone Noveck, January 17, 2025
“The Biden Administration has issued two significant executive orders this week that signal an important evolution in how the U.S. government approaches artificial intelligence. Coming in the final days of the administration, these orders represent a capstone to Biden's technology policy. While much attention has focused on AI regulation and risk management, these orders—including a January 16th order on innovation in cybersecurity and a January 14th order on AI infrastructure—represent something different: recognition that AI capability is becoming critical infrastructure for effective governance. However, the framing in national security terms—with a focus on ensuring competitiveness with China and advancing economic competitiveness globally—missed an opportunity to bolster technology’s role in strengthening democratic institutions, improving governance and public service delivery.” Read the Executive Order on Strengthening and Promoting Innovation in the Nation’s Cybersecurity and the Executive Order on Advancing United States Leadership in Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure.
New Jersey Issues Landmark Guidance on AI and Algorithmic Discrimination - Reboot Democracy, Beth Simone Noveck, January 13, 2025
“The New Jersey Division on Civil Rights has released comprehensive guidance clarifying that the state's Law Against Discrimination (LAD) applies with full force to artificial intelligence and automated decision-making tools. The guidance, issued in January 2025, makes one thing crystal clear: whether discrimination comes from human decisions or AI algorithms, it's still illegal.” Read the full release here: Guidance on Algorithmic Discrimination and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination
What are the challenges facing the government's AI action plan? - BBC, Marc Cieslak and Matt Murphy, January 13, 2025
“AI needs powerful data centres to work, but Google warned in a report in September that the UK faced being ‘left behind’ if it didn't expand its network of such facilities.
Sir Keir has now pledged to speed up planning permission for new centres and to
‘remove the blockages’ that hold companies back from building them.
But Dr Stephanie Hare, an AI expert said the current minimal economic growth and the spiralling cost of borrowing made it hard to see how these new centres would be funded.”
AI For Governance
Agents for the few, queues for the many – or agents for all? - Reboot Democracy, Tiago C. Peixoto & Luke Jordan, December 16, 2024
“If AI development continues and public sector services fail to evolve, inequalities in access will only grow. AI agents – capable of handling tasks like forms filling and queries – have the potential to transform access to public services. But rather than embracing this potential, the public sector risks turning a blind eye – or worse, banning these tools outright – leaving those without resources even further behind.”
When AI Meets Reality: California's Wildfire Detection System - Reboot Democracy, Beth Simone Noveck, January 12, 2025
“... the Palisades Fire exposes a crucial reality: technology alone cannot overcome natural forces. When Santa Ana winds topped 100 mph, spreading embers across brush and homes, even the most sophisticated AI detection system proved inadequate. As UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain noted in a (pay-walled) article in Forbes: ‘Under conditions like this, you may have as little as 60 seconds from when the fire ignites to essentially when it's not controllable.’”
Massachusetts AI Models Innovation Challenge - The Innovation Institute at the MassTech Collaborative, Governor Maura Healey
This week, applications opened for The Massachusetts AI Models Innovation Challenge –”a grant program designed to inspire the development of domain-specific AI models capable of catalyzing scientific discoveries, accelerating commercialization of AI applications or generating substantial public benefits. The Challenge seeks to fund projects that develop, fine-tune or adapt AI models to unlock breakthroughs in priority industry sectors with potential for significant downstream applications within the next three years.” Applications are open through February 28th, 2025.
Maryland Submits AI Strategy, Guide to General Assembly - Government Technology, News Staff, January 14, 2025
“‘The AI road map charts a course for the state of Maryland in 2025, helping it accelerate the pace of AI adoption while considering the unique assets, opportunities and risks present in Maryland,’ DoIT Secretary Katie Savage, chair of the AI Subcabinet, said in a statement Tuesday… the AI Roadmap aims to increase AI experimentation, iteration and adoption.”
AI and Elections
Why AI Did Not Upend the Super Year of Elections - Lawfare, Kevin Frazier, January 2, 2025
“Many AI labs, which include nonprofit, for-profit, and academic entities dedicated to researching and developing new AI systems, have taken it upon themselves to reduce the odds of electoral disruption resulting from their tools. As the creators of the latest and most widely adopted models, labs have comparatively more control over how their tools may be used and by whom.”
AI and IR
Biden's late moves on China, Russia, AI may mostly boost Trump - Reuters, Andrea Shalal and Trevor Hunnicutt, January 15, 2025
“In less than a week, the Biden White House has sanctioned Russian oil producers and ships, restricted semiconductor chip exports, found Chinese shipbuilding practices unfair, ceded federal land for AI centers and cemented plans to effectively bar Chinese vehicles. With his last-minute announcements, Biden is ‘trying to shape how history will remember him,’ said Robert Rowland, a University of Kansas professor who specializes in presidential rhetoric. In doing so, ‘he's giving Trump a lot of leverage,’ he said, adding that Biden may not be helping himself.
AI and Public Engagement
Hybrid intelligence for the public sector: A bibliometric analysis of artificial intelligence and crowd intelligence - Science Direct, Helen K. Liu, MuhChuyun Tang, Antoine Serge J. Collard, January 10, 2025
“... our review shows that, while the designs of AI can enable efficient workflows and task segments for CI [crowd intelligence], the advancement of AI is based on the quality of the data extracted from CI, as shown in the examples in smart cities (Internet of Things), personnel management, social media, and governance.”
