DemocracyNext founder and CEO Claudia Chwalisz returns to the Denizen podcast to explore the intersection of deliberative democracy and artificial intelligence. Here we are particularly interested in how we might crease democratic resilience by leveraging AI to scale deliberative processes. Governance innovation is the AI application we're most enthusiastic about so we're excited to bring this conversation to the Denizen audience.

Claudia and Jenny discuss broader trends of rising autocracy, weakening civil societies, and attacks on basic rights, while situating deliberative democracy as a counterforce to these issues. They explore what aspects of the deliberative process are fundamentally human, giving rise to the limitations and risks of certain applications of AI. They also break down five different ways we can think about scaling deliberative democracy, which enables a more nuanced conversation about the opportunities AI presents. Claudia stresses that technology is not a silver bullet, but must be integrated with the human elements of social and political change.

00:00 Introduction to the Episode

00:32 Meet Claudia Swi: Expert on Deliberative Democracy

00:43 Exploring Deliberative Democracy and AI

00:55 The Importance of Democratic Resilience

03:03 Understanding Populism and Authoritarianism

04:49 Challenges and Limitations of Representative Democracy

08:26 Defining Deliberative Democracy

09:49 The Role of Sortition in Deliberative Processes

13:54 In-Person vs. Virtual Deliberative Processes

23:13 The Human Element in Deliberative Democracy

31:23 How AI Can Support Deliberative Structures

35:18 Exploring Tech-Enabled Trackers and Feedback Loops

35:56 Understanding the Lifecycle of Deliberative Processes

36:27 Defining and Breaking Down 'Scale' in AI and Democracy

37:08 The Five Dimensions of Scaling in Deliberative Democracy

37:19 Scaling Out: Increasing Participation in Deliberative Processes

40:29 AI's Role in Scaling Out and Up

46:24 Scaling Across: Spreading Deliberative Processes

49:37 Scaling Deep: Institutionalizing Deliberative Processes

52:45 Scaling In: Enhancing Quality and Impact

59:56 The Broader Implications of AI and Deliberative Democracy

01:06:03 Concluding Thoughts and Future Directions

Resources:

• DemocracyNext: https://www.demnext.org/
• Five Dimensions of Scaling Democratic Deliberation: With and Beyond AI
• The Populist Signal: Why Politics and Democracy Need to Change, Claudia Chwalisz
• The People's Verdict: Adding Informed Citizen Voices to Public Decision Making, Claudia Chwalisz
• Denizen podcast Citizen's Assemblies episode
• Denizen Citizen's Assemblies overview

To stay connected to all things Denizen, you can sign up for our newsletter at www.becomingdenizen.com. There we share our latest content alongside community events, educational opportunities, and announcements from our many partner organizations.

In this final episode of a three-part series on essential capabilities for a regenerative future with Robert Gilman, founder and president of The Context Institute. Robert and Jenny tie the first two episodes of the series together to bring you this conversation on collaboration.

We’ve all heard the term “omni-win” and talked about needed paradigms from zero sum to win for all. I don’t know about you, but we are tired of hearing that high level language without real tactics to bring that to life. This is what this conversation brings to you. Jenny and Robert discuss the “dominator hierarchy” mindset that leads to zero sum problem solving, where the strategy for success is to seek power over others. Rewriting this dominator narrative is essential for win for all outcomes, where all includes all life on Earth.

They also highlight the need to redefine success as win-win-win, and the new patterns of working together that are required to get there. This includes the concept of leadership as service, which I’m sure is music to most of your ears. As always it’s an honor to host Robert and share his 80 years of wisdom with you!

00:00 Introduction to the Series and Guest

01:23 Exploring Collaboration and Omni-Win Solutions

03:09 The Obsolescence of Dominator Models

05:39 Redefining Success and Systemic Thinking

08:18 The Role of Stewardship and Hierarchies

11:40 AI and Governance

12:09 The Importance of Design Processes

13:36 Addressing Dominator Behaviors and Adversarial Paradigms

19:10 Systems Consciousness and Collaborative Design

25:07 The Importance of Feedback Culture

26:37 Building Trust in Organizations

27:37 From Transactional to Relational Paradigms

28:49 Optimal Zones and Collaborative Outcomes

31:00 Design Thinking and Sociocracy

33:41 Consent vs. Consensus in Decision Making

36:25 Integrating Nature into Decision Processes

38:38 The Role of AI and Information Flows

42:50 Leadership in Collaborative Groups

47:25 Conclusion and Call to Action

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This episode explores the importance of understanding and integrating various modes of cognition. It is the second in a three-part series with Robert Gilman, founder and president of The Context Institute, covering essential competencies for the regenerative era.

Jenny and Robert discusses the limitations of object perception and categorical thinking, the roles of visual and kinesthetic thinking, and the value of intuition. The episode also explores the concept of systems consciousness and its implications for living in harmony with life on Earth. Additional discussions include the impact of the Age of Enlightenment on modern thinking, the limitations of language, and the importance of cultural and contextual awareness in decision-making.

00:00 Introduction to Modes of Cognition

00:27 Meet Robert Gilman and Series Overview

01:03 Exploring Various Modes of Cognition

02:14 Understanding Cognition and Its Importance

03:43 Historical and Cultural Analysis of Cognition

05:50 Dominant Modes of Cognition

15:25 Visual Thinking and Its Richness

18:37 Kinesthetic Thinking and Somatic Awareness

24:51 The Importance of Intuition

25:07 Exploring the Concept of Intuition

26:32 The Role of Subconscious in Creativity

27:34 Interconnection of Consciousness

29:16 Balancing Different Modes of Cognition

34:02 Understanding Systems Consciousness

37:56 The Impact of Communication on Understanding

41:47 Developing a FUD Immune System

47:16 Sustainable Motivation and Future Pull

48:31 Conclusion and Resources

To stay connected to all things Denizen, you can sign up for our newsletter at www.becomingdenizen.com. There we share our latest content alongside community events, educational opportunities, and announcements from our many partner organizations.