The Problem
AI is already changing our communities, and we’re only in the earliest stages of deployment: the technology will likely never be as bad as it is today. And yet we already find our jobs shifting with AI automations. Our landscapes are shrinking as data centers crop up. Even our interpersonal relationships are morphing, as chatbots mimic human connection.
The changes aren’t all bad. AI has also compressed timelines for scientific research. AI has helped some governments find consensus among constituents. AI already can outsource certain tasks we don’t enjoy, freeing up more time for more meaningful work, creativity, or hopefully even enjoying more free time.
The problem is that decisions about these changes are being made far away from most of our homes, deep within office complexes of just a handful of Silicon Valley giants.
The Solution
AI Realists is a hub for everyone who believes communities, not tech companies, should determine AI’s role in our lives.
We’re a home for people who want to act wisely on both imminent harms and existential risks.
We take the future seriously.
Together, we will:
Ignite a sense of agency within local communities around AI issues.
Champion state-level policies that guide AI now and in the future..
Strengthen democracy and AI governance with better tools for decision-making.
AI Realists is launching in Missoula, Montana, and we envision supporting communities across the nation over time.
AI Realists on A New Angle
With A New Angle’s host Justin Angle, AI Realists Co-Founders Jason Wiener and Crissie McMullan debate state policy as a valid strategy, Citizens Assemblies as a promising type of governance, the role of education in a world where careers are being upended, the necessity of cultivating a rich inner life, whether future humans will go to mental gyms, and what AI teaches us about what it means to be human.
As Jason said, “No matter what, if you have something that’s going to do it’s best to provide you whatever you want, you better know what you’re going to ask for, and how to recognize it when you see it.”
Listen to Part One on Apple Podcasts.
Listen to Part Two on Apple Podcasts.