Security News > 2023 > June > AI as Sensemaking for Public Comments

What if AI turns out to be the one tool able to identify what makes your ideas special, recognizing your unique perspective and potential on the issues where it matters most?

There are legitimate reasons to be concerned that AI could spread misinformation, break public comment processes on regulations, inundate legislators with artificial constituent outreach, help to automate corporate lobbying, or even generate laws in a way tailored to benefit narrow interests.

Each is likely to lead to drastically different experience for public policy advocates and other people trying to have their voice heard in a future system where AI chatbots are both the dominant readers and writers of public comment.

In addition to collapsing testimony through summarization, government staff can use modern AI techniques to explode it.

If there is nothing better, "Who donated the most to our campaign" or "Which company employs the most of my former staffers" become reasonable metrics for prioritizing public comments.

If Americans want AI to help revitalize the country's ailing democracy, they need to think about how to align the incentives of elected leaders with those of individuals.

News URL

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2023/06/ai-as-sensemaking-for-public-comments.html