“Analyzing the Benefits of Artificial Intelligence to Radically Inclusive Democracy,” Spencer Overton

The United States is becoming more racially diverse, but racial disparities in voter turnout, voter suppression, racial polarization, and other challenges threaten to undermine truly representative democracy. While generative artificial intelligence and related technologies can exacerbate these racial challenges to democracy, AI optimists envision a future where technology enhances democracy and reduces societal inequality. For example, AI could reduce racial disparities in voter turnout by expanding the capacity of grassroots organizations and candidates to identify voters in communities of color unlikely to vote, analyze data about their interests, and produce high-quality, individually customized videos likely to motivate them to the polls. Another example — AI-powered platforms could manage racial polarization by moderating policy conversations to minimize insults and attacks, summarize different perspectives, identify common interests, and help millions of diverse people build consensus and make decisions. Too often, however, AI optimism fails to adequately analyze the effectiveness of AI applications in actually solving democracy’s most pressing challenges, the adverse side effects of these applications, and the real-world economic and political barriers to the effective implementation of the applications. This article is the first to comprehensively landscape, rigorously examine, and offer a clear-eyed assessment of the potential benefits of AI in mitigating racial challenges to democracy.  

Spencer Overton is the Patricia Roberts Harris Research Professor and the founder and faculty director of the Multiracial Democracy Project at GW Law School. He is the author of the book Stealing Democracy: The New Politics of Voter Suppression and several law review articles on race and democracy, including “Overcoming Racial Harms to Democracy from Artificial Intelligence", "State Power to Regulate Social Media Companies to Prevent Voter Suppression," and "The Implications of Section 230 for Black Communities." Professor Overton served as president of and rebuilt the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies — America’s Black think tank. He also held various senior policy leadership positions on the Obama presidential campaign and transition and in the Obama administration. He practiced law at Debevoise & Plimpton, clerked for U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Damon Keith, and graduated with honors from both Hampton University and Harvard Law School.