Civic Health Project

From projects like Normsy.ai, which fosters healthier digital norms and constructive dialogue, to other innovators reimagining online spaces as places for connection and empathy, the evening proved what’s possible when technology is designed with civic health in mind.

Last week, we co-hosted Algorithms for Common Ground: Reimagining Social Media & AI in Menlo Park, a hands-on showcase of emerging tools using artificial intelligence to strengthen civic trust and reduce polarization.

Here's how AI makes online conversations better Civic technologists are harnessing AI to foster trust and support healthy public discourse.

As deepfakes and disinformation threaten public trust, a new generation of civic technologists is using AI for something different: to help us listen, reflect, and connect.

Read the Blog: techandsocialcohesion.substack.com/p/heres-how-...

National Roundtable on Political Violence Talk with your political opposite and take action. Join thousands of Americans on Nov. 6 to prove positive action can replace the violence threatening our society.

Join Newsweek, @allsidesnow.bsky.social, and Living Room Conversatons on Nov 6 for the National Roundtable on Political Violence.

Thousands of Americans will meet online to talk, listen, and take action together.

www.allsides.com/national-rou...

📅 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

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.

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.

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 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.

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...

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.

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

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-...

Outrage 70 - Is There Still Hope for the Internet? - Kristin Hansen - Outrage Overload Kristin Hansen tells us about Normsy.ai

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...

AI Is Capturing Interiority In unprecedented ways, chatbots reconfigure our inner lives.

“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

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.

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

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

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

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...

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.

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

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?

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

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.

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...

YouTube video by PBS NewsHour How a Kentucky community is using AI to help people find common ground

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...

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.

Why AI is the next free speech battleground With Larry Lessig and Meetali Jain

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-...

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.

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...

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/

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

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...

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.

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.

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...

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

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

🚨 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...

EXPO 2025: Two Hybrid Events, Global Programming
📅 June 26 | 🌎 Americas | EMEA | Asia Pacific
How can tech foster trust, cohesion, and collaboration—instead of fueling division and violence?
Join global voices shaping the future of prosocial tech.
techandsocialcohesion.org/ctsc-expo