Can AI Strengthen Democracy? | Sandy Pentland

What if the key to AI isn’t better algorithms, but better conversations? This week, we’re joined by MIT researcher and AI pioneer Sandy Pentland to discuss his new book; Shared Wisdom: Cultural Evolution in the Age of AI. From ancient times around campfires to modern-day online debates, Sandy walks us through how humans have always relied on storytelling and collective rationalization in order to navigate uncertainty as we shape culture.

But modern innovations are far surpassing those ancient times. Billions of people at once are being exposed to new technologies at a rapid rate, and AI systems trained on past date can unintentionally freeze culture in place, amplifying old cultures instead of assisting human innovation. Never fear – Sandy guides us through the history of artificial intelligence, and what previous AI “booms and winters” teach us about the promises and pitfalls of the systems we’re using today.

Despite its risks, Sandy is cautiously optimistic. Looking towards the positive, AI could improve democratic deliberation and help communities interact, learn, and experiment with one another. At the end of the day, AI is here, and it’s not going away. The real question isn’t if AI is “good” or “bad”, it’s what kind of culture we want it to help us build.

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