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The Next UN: AI, Power, and What Global Governance Must Become

The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 1d

📖 Read this week’s News That Caught Our Eye: rebootdemocracy.ai/newsthatcaug...

This week’s reporting captures the widening gap between AI adoption and the structures meant to guide it. Together, it sketches the messy yet essential evolution toward accountable, civic-aligned AI.

#RebootDemocracy

The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 2d

💡 In this week’s Private Innovation in the Public Interest episodes, Anita McGahan speaks with Professors Andrew Foley and András Tilcsik.

Listen here! open.spotify.com/show/3eQJntT...

The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 3d

Excited to welcome Elana Banin as Interim Comms Director at @burnescenter.bsky.social + Editor of @rebootdemocracy.bsky.social!

Her first blog post analyzes the UN’s new AI resolution, arguing legitimacy isn’t declared, it’s built from the ground up.

📖 buff.ly/w9De8SS

#GlobalAIWatch

https://rebootdemocracy.ai/blog/silicon-sampling-when-communications-practitioners-should-and-shouldnt-use-ai-in-the-survey-pipeline

The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 4d

New on Reboot Democracy's Research Radar: The AIMES Lab at @northeasternu.bsky.social is pioneering methods in “Silicon Sampling” using AI to simulate public opinion in early-stage survey design.

📖 Read the full piece: rebootdemocracy.ai/blog/silicon...

#ResearchRadar #RebootDemocracy

Feeding the Beast: Powering Democratic AI with Open Data

The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 5d

AI is ravenous, and public datasets feed its growth. In Spain with @opengovpartnership.org this week, we ask: what do we get in return?

If public data fuels private innovation, it’s time to demand civic licenses, open benchmarks & public returns.

📖 buff.ly/6FzzMvp

#RebootDemocracy #OGPSummit

AI’s biggest breakthroughs were built on public datasets; the next wave should be, too. If governments make data AI-ready and keep access open, we can power tools that explain laws, improve services,…

The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 7d

The Burnes Center, @northeasternu.bsky.social, and the @massdot.bsky.social, hosted Department of Transportation representatives from several states for a two-day peer exchange about unlocking the benefits of AI. Thank you to everyone who participated in this event! Photo credit Edgar Domínguez.

The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 8d

A special thank you to Governor Maura Healey, Jason Snyder, and The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Operational Services Division (OSD)!

The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 8d

Yesterday, NASPO awarded The Burnes Center and @thegovlab.org's AI for Impact Program and its students the 2025 Cronin Prize for Procurement Excellence and the inaugural Academic Collaboration Award for our work with the @massgov.bsky.social.

The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 9d

💡This week on Private Innovation in the Public Interest: Anita speaks with Professors F. Christopher Eaglin and Jillian Chown about the resilience of South Africa’s minibus drivers and what’s going on in your doctor’s mind as you make care decisions.

Listen here open.spotify.com/show/3eQJntT...

The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 9d

This week's news in AI + democracy:

🔹 California passes first U.S. AI safety law
🔹 Experts weigh in on Spain’s landmark ruling on algorithmic transparency
🔹 New frameworks for peace tech + civic procurement

More in our weekly roundup 👇
rebootdemocracy.ai/blog/news-th...

#NewsThatCaughtOurEye

The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 10d

📣 Spain’s Supreme Court just made algorithmic transparency a constitutional right. A huge step forward for democracy.

@jlmarti.bsky.social breaks down the significance of the Bosco ruling and why it matters beyond Spain.

🧵 Read: rebootdemocracy.ai/blog/the-jud...

#GlobalAIWatch #DigitalDemocracy

When Communities Lead, Appropriate Tech and Change Follow

The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 11d

A new post by Sofía Bosch Gómez of @burnescenter.bsky.social spotlights AIEP, an AI tool co-designed with parents to navigate IEPs and build civic power.

🤝 Trained parent leaders
📱 WhatsApp-based AI literacy
🏫 Schools now adopting

📖 buff.ly/Mi55ulU

#AIandEducation

Co-designed with parents, the AIEP tool is both a technical solution and a catalyst for civic power for families of children with diverse abilities. By building AI literacy through in-person training…

Private Innovation in the Public Interest

The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 12d

Today on Reboot Democracy: A close review of friend.com, the AI “wearable” marketed across NYC subways as a cure for loneliness.

It listens, responds, and records, without consent. What should we do about it?

📖 rebootdemocracy.ai/blog/friend-...
#ResponsibleAI #TechEthics #RebootDemocracy

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The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 16d

Congress adopts Copilot. Spain backs algorithmic transparency. Trump-linked firms profit from AI chip diplomacy. And a new guide reframes participation platforms as governance choices.

📖 Read this week’s News That Caught Our Eye: rebootdemocracy.ai/newsthatcaug...

The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 16d

💡 In this week’s Private Innovation in the Public Interest episodes, Anita McGahan speaks with

🏥 Carlos Inoue on how rotating people across orgs unlocks new problem-solving.
🔬 Keyvan Vakili on creativity, AI’s persuasiveness, & scientific truth.
🔗 Listen:

Podcast · Anita McGahan · Tune in with Professor Anita McGahan as she speaks with leading thinkers to understand and reinvent corporate social responsibility in service of the public good. Presented…

open.spotify.com

The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 17d

Participation only works when tools match purpose.

Dane Gambrell reflects on @peoplepowered.org 's new platform guide + how to design engagement that works. Read the post rebootdemocracy.ai/blog/choosin...

Then join us tomorrow at 3pm ET for a workshop: innovate-us.org/different-ai...

Choosing Wisely: A New Resource for Picking the Right Participation Platform

Choosing a digital participation platform is a governance choice. Dane Gambrell's latest post explores what the new Guide to Digital Participation Platforms gets right, the idea that participation onl...

Governing with AI: Why Albania’s Chatbot Minister Makes More Sense Than You Think

The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 19d

Governing with AI: Why Albania’s “Chatbot Minister” isn’t a stunt. History shows digital tools can fight corruption & build trust, if they deliver visibility, accountability & recourse.

📖 Read @bethnoveck.bsky.social on Reboot Democracy: buff.ly/mcXex09

The Washington Post dismisses Albania’s chatbot minister as a gimmick. Yet Seoul proved 25 years ago that well-designed digital systems can curb corruption by limiting discretion and increasing…

From Interim to Institution: New Jersey’s Three-Pillar Strategy for Responsible AI

The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 23d

💡 In this week’s Private Innovation in the Public Interest episodes, Anita McGahan speaks with:

🌍 James Orbinski on humanitarianism, dialogue & dignity.

📈 Leandro Nardi on why CSR often fails & how great firms thrive socially + financially.

Listen now: open.spotify.com/show/3eQJntT...

The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 24d

🎙️ TOMORROW at 2PM ET: Join Senior Fellow Dr. @alisterfmartin.bsky.social for a free InnovateUS workshop on how AI is cutting through red tape to unlock access to SNAP, WIC, Lifeline, and more.

💻 Register here: innovate-us.org/leveraging-a...

The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · 25d

This year, the state of New Jersey moved from exploration of AI to institution-building with a second-generation policy: required training, stricter rules for resident-facing systems, and more to ensure adoption at scale happens responsibly.

Read more: rebootdemocracy.ai/blog/nj-resp...

With its new 2025 AI policy, New Jersey has advanced from interim guidance that encouraged experimentation to a framework that enables safe, large-scale use. Building on two years of training and adop...

Private Innovation in the Public Interest

Reposted by The Burnes Center for Social Change

Link Health @linkhealth.bsky.social · 29d

Millions miss out on food, housing & health benefits, not because they don’t qualify, but due to complex enrollment. Join our CEO Dr. @alisterfmartin.bsky.social +
@burnescenter.bsky.social for a free @innovateus.bsky.social workshop on how AI expands access. Sept 17, 2 p.m. ET 💻 buff.ly/lREl7Wr

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The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · Sep 11

💡 How can AI help people enroll in federal benefits?

Join Dr. @alisterfmartin.bsky.social for an @innovateus.bsky.social workshop on how improve equity in benefit enrollment using AI.

@linkhealth.bsky.social, @ahdemocracy.bsky.social

📅 Sept 17, 2pm ET
💻 Register: innovate-us.org/leveraging-a...

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The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · Sep 11

💡 In this week’s Private Innovation in the Public Sector, Anita McGahan speaks with Donal Crilly & Jim Lavery about why shared visions of the future drive better negotiations & solutions, and why fair access to medicines depends on more than new drugs.

🎧 Listen now:

Podcast · Anita McGahan · Tune in with Professor Anita McGahan as she speaks with leading thinkers to understand and reinvent corporate social responsibility in service of the public good. Presented…

open.spotify.com

The Burnes Center for Social Change @burnescenter.bsky.social · Sep 10

At the Academy of Public Administration and Governance in Vietnam, civil servants are building AI literacy and shifting to adaptive, tech-savvy governance, notes Giulio Quaggiotto.

rebootdemocracy.ai/blog/work-wi...
@caglkyspp.bsky.social
@ips-sg.bsky.social
@un-ecosoc.bsky.social

Work with what you have: how Vietnam is using AI as a way to encourage a learning culture among public servants

While the West races toward artificial general intelligence, Vietnam is charting a different path with “Applied AI,” using tools like ChatGPT to overcome language barriers, limited budgets, and instit...