Bruce Schneier and Nathan Sanders are asking the right question in their new book Rewiring Democracy: not whether AI will change politics, but how we can shape that change. The cybersecurity expert (behind Data and Goliath) and data scientist tackle something most AI discussions skip entirely — the nitty-gritty of democratic governance.
Their timing couldn’t be better. AI is already being used to draft legislation, analyze court documents, and run local political campaigns (most politics happens at low budgets, they point out, where AI tools can level the playing field for first-time candidates). The authors argue that AI amplifies power — and the crucial question is whose power gets amplified.
It’s a book of practical optimism. Instead of dystopian warnings or Silicon Valley cheerleading, Schneier and Sanders lay out five concrete steps: regulate AI development, resist harmful uses, experiment responsibly with democratic applications, update our institutions, and embed democratic principles into AI design.
They envision “AI-enhanced citizens” who can engage in personalized policy conversations and participate in town halls at scale. The goal isn’t replacing human judgment but augmenting it — letting legislators write more detailed laws, helping courts process cases faster, and making government services more accessible. Their most intriguing proposal: public AI models built for citizen value rather than shareholder profits.
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