Reboot Weekly: Designing Democratic Engagement, Community-Built AI for IEPs, and Korea’s $73B Sovereignty Bet

Published on February 12, 2026

Summary

This week on Reboot Democracy, Beth Simone Noveck and Dane Gambrell explain why more people need to learn how to "do engagement" in the AI era and invite co-creation of a new online course. Sofía Bosch Gómez, Joanna French, and Belén Farmer Martinez reflect on co-designing AI with families in San Francisco. Merve Hickok examines South Korea’s investments in small models. Beyond Reboot, federal AI deployments have nearly doubled, with the DOT planning to use AI to write regulations; labor leaders are pressing for stronger worker protections; and fights over data centers and digital public infrastructure highlight how power and accountability are being negotiated in real time.

Upcoming InnovateUS Workshops

InnovateUS delivers no-cost, at-your-own-pace, and live learning on data, digital, innovation, and AI skills. Designed for civic and public sector, programs are free and open to all.

Prompting Lab Office Hours: Bring your AI Questions – February 13, 2:00 PM ET

Using AI to Understand Public Sentiment – February 23, 2:00 PM ET

Introducing Grantwell: Using AI for Municipal Technical Assistance – February 25, 2:00 PM ET

Effective Use of Social Media: Storytelling, Trust, and institutional Brand – February 26, 2:00 PM ET

AI for Governance

Government by AI? Trump Administration Plans to Write Regulations Using Artificial Intelligence

Jesse Coburn on January 26, 2026 in ProPublica

The Trump administration is planning to use artificial intelligence to write federal transportation regulations...These developments have alarmed some at DOT. The agency’s rules touch virtually every facet of transportation safety, including regulations that keep airplanes in the sky, prevent gas pipelines from exploding and stop freight trains carrying toxic chemicals from skidding off the rails. Why, some staffers wondered, would the federal government outsource the writing of such critical standards to a nascent technology notorious for making mistakes?

Read article

AI for Governance

Over 70% of Public Servants Worldwide Use AI, While Government Frameworks Are Still Evolving

Staff on February 5, 2026 in Center for Data Innovation and Public First

A global survey of 3,335 public servants across 10 countries finds that 74 percent now use AI, and 80 percent say it feels empowering in their daily work. Yet only 18 percent believe their governments are using AI very effectively. The Public Sector AI Adoption Index shows wide variation: Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and India lead in leadership backing and embedding, while the U.S., U.K., and others show uneven progress. The research shows that AI impact depends less on ambition than on clear rules, training, access to tools, and institutional support.

Read article

AI for Governance

The Demand Machine: How AI Is Increasing, Not Reducing, Public Service Workloads

Mai-Ling Garcia and Neil Kleiman on February 11, 2026 in New America and Rethink AI

A new brief argues that AI in government functions less as a cost-cutting tool and more as a “demand machine.” By reducing friction through chatbots, automated eligibility tools, and triage systems, AI makes it easier for residents to apply for benefits, file complaints, and request services, thereby surfacing unmet needs at scale. The authors warn that without forecasting demand, redesigning workflows, and budgeting for increased capacity, AI adoption could overwhelm agencies and erode trust rather than deliver efficiency gains.

Read article

Governing AI

Global AI Watch: Korean Public Funds for Global AI Advancements

Merve Hickok on February 11, 2026 in Reboot Democracy

As South Korea pursues its ambition to become a top-three global AI power, the government has committed over $73 billion in public funds to develop a sovereign, open-source national foundation model. Reboot Democracy reposts Merve Hickok's Herald Insight Collection article, which examines whether alternative investments, such as small language models, compute and energy efficiency, and world-leading AI governance and evaluation, might better secure Korea’s long-term autonomy and global leadership. The piece probes what “sovereignty” and “open source” truly mean in an interdependent AI economy.

Read article

AI and Labor

The AI Layoffs Are Under Way — and Just Before New Rules Arrive

Jacob Ward on February 4, 2026 in Hard Reset

As Washington State considers new rules requiring disclosure and bargaining when AI affects employment decisions, major tech firms are carrying out thousands of layoffs. Jacob Ward reports that companies, including Microsoft and Amazon, downsized ahead of potential state regulation, even as profits remain high. A proposed bill would require public employers to negotiate AI-related workplace changes with unions, while a state AI task force is weighing stronger labor protections.

Read article

AI and Labor

Labor Leaders Blast Gavin Newsom Over AI, Demand More Regulation

Tyler Katzenberger and Brock Hrehor on February 4, 2026 in Politico

AFL-CIO leaders from California, alongside voters from swing states, publicly pressured Governor Gavin Newsom to back stronger AI labor protections. They warn that failure to act could carry political consequences ahead of a potential 2028 presidential run. Labor officials argue Newsom has aligned too closely with major tech firms while neglecting safeguards for workers facing automation and AI-driven job disruption.

Read article

AI Infrastructure

Turning the Data Center Boom Into Long-Term, Local Prosperity

Daniel Goetzel, Mark Muro, and Shriya Methkupally on February 5, 2026 in The Brookings Institution

As hyperscalers race to build AI-era data centers, Brookings argues that communities should move beyond opaque, one-off siting deals that yield short-term construction jobs and limited lasting benefit. With competition for mega-sites, grid access, and permits intensifying, regions have new leverage to negotiate co-investments in workforce development, R&D partnerships, shared compute, and energy innovation. The authors propose a playbook for converting infrastructure access into ecosystem-building commitments, positioning data center negotiations as catalysts for durable tech clusters and shared prosperity rather than isolated real estate transactions.

Read article

AI and Public Engagement

Doing Democracy with AI: Designing Public Engagement for the AI Era

Beth Simone Noveck and Dane Gambrell on February 9, 2026 in Reboot Democracy

Beth Simone Noveck and Dane Gambrell argue that while public officials increasingly recognize the importance of engagement, they lack practical guidance on how to design meaningful participation. The article announces a new free course, Designing Democratic Engagement for the AI Era, created by InnovateUS, The GovLab, and the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation, to equip public professionals with tools to turn public input into real institutional impact.

Read article

AI and Public Engagement

How We Co-Designed an AI-Powered Tool for IEPs with Families in San Francisco

Sofía Bosch Gómez, Joanna French, and Belén Farmer Martinez on February 10, 2026 in Reboot Democracy

As the AIEP project concludes its first pilot in San Francisco, the team reflects on building a free, open-source AI tool to help families navigate complex Individualized Education Programs. Co-designed with more than 150 parents, educators, and advocates, the tool summarizes and translates IEPs while protecting student privacy. Beyond the product itself, the project produced a civic AI course, a community-centered playbook, and forthcoming academic research, offering a practical model for building public-purpose AI with communities, not just for them.

Read article

AI and Public Engagement

California State Employees Call for AI Modernization and Management Reform to Improve Government Efficiency

Engaged California on February 10, 2026 in State of California

Over a 10-week engagement, more than 1,400 California state employees submitted 2,600+ ideas on how to make the government more efficient, emphasizing that modernization requires more than cost-cutting or new software. Employees called for better data sharing across agencies, smarter and more secure use of AI, improved digital tools, stronger leadership training, and clearer communication between frontline staff and management. The feedback highlights that digital transformation depends as much on culture, governance, and workforce empowerment as on technology itself.

Read article

AI and Problem Solving

Northeastern Partnership Expands Benefit Access Through AI and Student Navigators

Cyrus Moulton on February 6, 2026 in Northeastern Global News

Northeastern University is helping scale Link Health, a program of the nonprofit A Healthier Democracy, which embeds trained student navigators in community health centers to connect patients with public benefits such as SNAP, WIC, and MassHealth. Founded by emergency physician Dr. Alister Martin, the initiative treats poverty as a root cause of poor health and combines in-person enrollment support with a Northeastern-developed AI assistant that allows patients to apply for benefits outside clinic hours. The program has screened more than 45,000 individuals and facilitated nearly $5.5 million in assistance.

Read article

▲