“AI will either be the greatest equalizer ever invented, or the worst source of injustice,” wrote Bill Gates in an open letter a few weeks ago. He’s not the only one sounding the alarm. Dario Amodei, CEO of the AI company Anthropic, called last month for a slowdown of the technology, and received quick support from executives at OpenAI, SpaceX, and Google DeepMind.
Many people feel that AI development is moving faster than we can understand or address through policy. But civic assemblies offer a thoughtful, fair, and consequential model for guiding technology for the benefit of all communities.
When Civic Genius concluded the Snohomish County Civic Assembly on AI in June, this sense of urgency was beginning to grow in the general public. Our discussions considered the risks and costs of AI, alongside its potential benefits. Participants were terrified of Flock cameras, desperate for advances in medicine, deeply concerned for the environment, and intrigued by possible efficiencies in government services. Many held all those concerns and promises at the same time. That’s what deliberation is.
See the civic assembly in action here
