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Civic Health Project @civichealthproject.bsky.social · 14d

📅 Join us Oct 1 (4pm ET / 1pm PT) for a Civic Health Project + @rururbbridge.bsky.social briefing on defusing toxic polarization & political violence and what we can do to build resilience and strengthen our civic fabric.

Register for the briefing: tinyurl.com/octpolar

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Civic Health Project @civichealthproject.bsky.social · 22d

A glimpse of how technology can serve democracy. We the People uses AI not to divide, but to draw out reflection, common ground, and the shared values that sustain us.

Council on Tech and Social Cohesion @socialcohesiontech.bsky.social · 22d

What happens when thousands of Americans from every congressional district share their views on freedom and equality, with the help of an AI?

That’s the promise of We the People, a new initiative from Jigsaw and the Napolitan Institute.

techandsocialcohesion.substack.com/p/the-ai-lis...

The AI listening to 'We the People'

Jigsaw is deploying Gemini AI to listen to over 2,500 Americans in a historic experiment to make sense of where Americans stand—and what they share.

techandsocialcohesion.substack.com

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Civic Health Project @civichealthproject.bsky.social · 23d

When technology is designed to foster local belonging and shared identity, it can strengthen the very social fabric so many fear is unraveling.

This is the kind of evidence we need to reimagine digital spaces—not as engines of outrage, but as platforms that help us connect with our communities.

New_ Public @newpublic.org · 25d

RESEARCH: Participating in local conversations can strengthen your connection to your community, online & off.

A study found active, long-term participants in their local subreddit were more likely to be civically involved & report a higher sense of belonging.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

Two side-by-side charts comparing outcomes between random subreddits (blue) and city subreddits (orange) based on subscription tenure. Chart (a) shows "Sense of Local Belonging by Subreddit Tenure" with y-axis from 3.8 to 4.15. For subscriptions of 7 days or less, both subreddit types show similar scores around 3.95-3.97 with overlapping confidence intervals. For subscriptions longer than 7 days, city subreddits increase to about 4.13 while random subreddits decrease to about 3.92, creating a clear separation. Chart (b) shows "Political Participation by Subreddit Tenure" with y-axis from 2.3 to 2.8. The pattern reverses here: for short tenure (≤7 days), both types score similarly around 2.5-2.65. For longer tenure (>7 days), city subreddits increase to about 2.8 while random subreddits decrease to about 2.4. The caption explains that differences between city and random subreddits become more pronounced with longer subscription periods for both local belonging and political participation measures.

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Civic Health Project @civichealthproject.bsky.social · 23d

Heavy social media users are nearly 4x more likely than light users to justify political violence. s.

The stakes are clear: if we want to counter the rise of political violence, technology has to be part of the solution, not just part of the problem.

More in Common US @moreincommonus.bsky.social · 24d

Our latest newsletter provides a clearer, more evidence-based view of Americans' attitudes towards political violence than what you may find in your social media feed: moreincommon.substack.com/p/attitudes-...

Attitudes towards political violence in the United States

Charlie Kirk’s murder is an inexcusable act of political violence and a personal tragedy.

moreincommon.substack.com

Civic Health Project @civichealthproject.bsky.social · 25d

Trust in chatbots is 30% higher than in elected officials — and 38% of people feel that AI could make better decisions on their behalf than government representatives.
techandsocialcohesion.substack.com/p/more-peopl...

More people trust chatbots than elected leaders

What new research reveals about our evolving relationship with AI—and how chatbots are filling the trust gap in the social contract.

techandsocialcohesion.substack.com

Reposted by Civic Health Project

Listen First Project @listenfirstproject.bsky.social · Sep 10

We are deeply disturbed by the news that Charlie Kirk was shot while speaking at UVU today. We stand alongside bipartisan leaders and elected officials who have condemned this attack on a fellow American. We denounce this shooting and all forms of political violence.

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Civic Health Project @civichealthproject.bsky.social · Aug 25

What happens when you build a social media platform where every user is an AI?

One recent study did just that, and even without ads or algorithms, the bots still formed partisan echo chambers and amplified the most polarized content.

gizmodo.com/researchers-...

Researchers Made a Social Media Platform Where Every User Was AI. The Bots Ended Up at War

Time to start over.

gizmodo.com

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Civic Health Project @civichealthproject.bsky.social · Aug 20

Is there still hope for the internet? 🌐

On Outrage Overload, Civic Health Project’s Kristin Hansen shares how @normsyai.bsky.social uses Human+AI to scale counterspeech, curb toxic conversations, and strengthen our shared civic norms.

outrageoverload.net/outrage-70-i...

Outrage 70 - Is There Still Hope for the Internet? - Kristin Hansen - Outrage Overload

Kristin Hansen tells us about Normsy.ai

outrageoverload.net

Civic Health Project @civichealthproject.bsky.social · Aug 20

“We design our technology, and thereafter it designs us. We must get it right this time—and soon.”

We still have time to build a future where AI serves the public good, but we need to take action now.

centerforhumanetechnology.substack.com/cp/171329941

AI Is Capturing Interiority

In unprecedented ways, chatbots reconfigure our inner lives.

centerforhumanetechnology.substack.com

Civic Health Project @civichealthproject.bsky.social · Aug 13

Algorithmic plurality isn’t enough—we need exposure diversity to build trust & counter misinformation.

www.techpolicy.press/making-media...

Making Media Pluralism Work in the Age of Algorithms | TechPolicy.Press

Urbano Reviglio says algorithmic pluralism is not just algorithmic plurality; it must be part of a broader structural effort to uphold media pluralism.

www.techpolicy.press

Civic Health Project @civichealthproject.bsky.social · Aug 13

ChatGPT convinced a user he’d developed a formula that could take down the internet and to warn others. He asked 50+ times for a reality check. The AI kept saying yes—a reminder that LLMs, trained by humans, can be swayed by sycophancy.

www.nytimes.com/2025/08/08/t...

Chatbots Can Go Into a Delusional Spiral. Here’s How It Happens.

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Civic Health Project

Council on Tech and Social Cohesion @socialcohesiontech.bsky.social · Aug 13

On Nextdoor, crime posts dominate your feed thanks to engagement-driven algorithms. In Vermont, Front Porch Forum updates just once a day—fostering trust and civic engagement instead of fear.
www.afterbabel.com/cp/170467486

The Algorithm Next Door

How local digital platforms like Nextdoor and Facebook are fraying the fabric of neighborhood trust — and what we can build instead.

www.afterbabel.com

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Reposted by Civic Health Project

Council on Tech and Social Cohesion @socialcohesiontech.bsky.social · Aug 12

Google’s AI Overview puts summaries at the top of search results. Helpful? Maybe. But it also makes AI an unaccountable gatekeeper—shaping what we see, and what we don’t. What’s your take?

Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · Aug 11

"As AI overviews become the default gateway to information, we risk creating a generation of users who consume knowledge without question, publishers who cannot sustain quality journalism, and a public sphere increasingly shaped by the statistical patterns embedded in large language models."

How AI-Driven Search May Reshape Democracy, Economics, and Human Agency | TechPolicy.Press

Cameron Pattison, Vance Ricks, and John P. Wihbey see differences in kind, as well as in degree, from the pre-generative model-based online search environment.

www.techpolicy.press

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Reposted by Civic Health Project

Center for Media Engagement @engagingnews.bsky.social · Aug 11

Digital spaces, like physical spaces, should be public-friendly. Civic Signals defines 14 «signals» that help platforms with 4 «blocks»:

👥 Welcome diverse publics
🌎 Build bridges and strengthen local ties
🧠 Promote understanding and reliable information
🤝 Inspire civic action

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Civic Health Project @civichealthproject.bsky.social · Aug 12

As AI agents gain autonomy, ethics must guide them to foster trust, reduce polarization, and strengthen—not erode—our civic fabric. Prosocial design isn’t optional; it’s essential for a healthy democratic future

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

We need a new ethics for a world of AI agents

The deployment of capable AI agents raises fresh questions about safety, human–machine relationships and social coordination.

www.nature.com

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Civic Health Project @civichealthproject.bsky.social · Aug 11

Bowling Green, KY just ran “the largest town hall in America.”

In 33 days, 8,000 residents cast 1M+ votes on local ideas using Deliberative Tech & AI. 80%+ agreement on half the proposals.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sEC...

How a Kentucky community is using AI to help people find common ground

YouTube video by PBS NewsHour

www.youtube.com

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Civic Health Project @civichealthproject.bsky.social · Aug 11

25 orgs. 2,798 surveys. One finding: bridging works.

SCIM shows measurable gains in empathy, respect & reduced animosity — and these same indicators can guide prosocial tech design.

Council on Tech and Social Cohesion @socialcohesiontech.bsky.social · Aug 11

The data is in: bridging works. 📊

From SCIM to the Peace Impact Framework, we can measure reduced polarization & stronger trust offline — and now bring those same indicators into tech design.

If we can measure it, we can design for it.
techandsocialcohesion.substack.com/p/the-scienc...

The Science of Trust

Bridging work delivers measurable results. Now let’s use these metrics and design tech to scale it.

techandsocialcohesion.substack.com

Civic Health Project @civichealthproject.bsky.social · Aug 7

If AI outputs get full First Amendment protection, regulating manipulative or harmful systems could become nearly impossible. Learn about why AI is the next free speech battleground from @centerforhumanetechnology.substack.com.web.brid.gy

centerforhumanetechnology.substack.com/p/why-ai-is-...

Why AI is the next free speech battleground

With Larry Lessig and Meetali Jain

centerforhumanetechnology.substack.com

Civic Health Project @civichealthproject.bsky.social · Jul 1

31 members of Congress. No party labels. No talking points. No posturing. Just one hour of real, crosspartisan dialogue.

Bridge Grades crunched the data—and many of them are walking the walk.

Let’s make this the norm, not the exception.

bridgegrades.substack.com/p/a-bipartis...

A bipartisan group of Congress got friendly for an hour - a small but notable moment

On Thursday morning, No Labels brought together 28 House Representatives and 3 Senators to discuss bipartisan collaboration--an important step as bridgers find each other and begin dialogue.

bridgegrades.substack.com

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Reposted by Civic Health Project

Listen First Project @listenfirstproject.bsky.social · Jun 20

Happy #ListenFirstFriday! 👂🌍
What if tech brought us together instead of tearing us apart?

🎥 Watch @civichealthproject.bsky.social's Kristin Hansen share why the June 26 Global Expo on Tech & Social Cohesion matters.

🗓️ Free + hybrid → Register + Agenda: techandsocialcohesion.org/ctsc-expo/

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Reposted by Civic Health Project

Council on Tech and Social Cohesion @socialcohesiontech.bsky.social · Jun 18

What if tech didn’t divide us—but helped rebuild trust?

On June 26, the Global EXPO on Tech & Social Cohesion. Demos, policy convos, tools for healthy online spaces, and more.

Join in DC, Kathmandu, or online.
techandsocialcohesion.substack.com/p/join-us-fo...

Join us for the global EXPO on Technology and Social Cohesion

Practical tools, emerging evidence and global insights will be featured in this HYBRID event on June 26

techandsocialcohesion.substack.com

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Civic Health Project @civichealthproject.bsky.social · Jun 18

Algorithms prioritize velocity—what spreads fastest wins. That means outrage, fear, and lies get amplified.
It’s not accidental. It’s a design choice. And it doesn’t have to be that way.

Tech Policy Press @techpolicypress.bsky.social · Jun 17

When it comes to platform governance, we must reframe the conversation towards mandating transparency and accountability, with a specific focus on the internal recommendation engines, writes Tech Policy Press contributing editor Amber Sinha:

Why False Bias Claims Don’t Undermine the Case for Social Media Regulation | TechPolicy.Press

Big Tech's current self-regulatory practices fail to meet the requisite criteria for effective and meaningful self-governance, writes Amber Sinha.

www.techpolicy.press

Civic Health Project @civichealthproject.bsky.social · Jun 13

Designing social media with user choice at its core isn’t just a feature—it’s a foundational principle for building technology that fosters social cohesion. When platforms prioritize agency, they create space for trust, connection, and healthier digital communities.

Project Liberty @projectliberty.io · Jun 13

One more post about the Digital Choice Act from
@harvardash.bsky.social on how the legislation has the potential to reshape social media.

Utah Digital Choice Act: Reshaping Social Media – Ash Center

ash.harvard.edu

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Civic Health Project @civichealthproject.bsky.social · Jun 9

We are loving this Responsible Tech Summer Reading List from All Tech Is Human.

alltechishuman.org/all-tech-is-...

Responsible Tech Summer Reading List 2025 — All Tech Is Human

All Tech Is Human is thrilled to release our latest Responsible Tech Summer Reading List! Check out our 18 new book suggestions below, along with books we listed in the last two versions. Are there bo...

alltechishuman.org

Reposted by Civic Health Project

Council on Tech and Social Cohesion @socialcohesiontech.bsky.social · Jun 6

🚨 We know what we want to stop: disinformation, polarization, exploitation. But naming the harms isn’t enough.

New Blueprint for Prosocial Tech Design Governance lays out how we can shift the deeper systems—governance + design—that shape our digital lives.

techandsocialcohesion.org/wp-content/u...

techandsocialcohesion.org

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