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-...
New evidence shows AI’s promise for peace processes — but without steering, it could drive us toward peril.
techandsocialcohesion.substack.com/p/ai-hope-or...
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...
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...
Normsy.ai blends human judgment with AI speed—empowering users to counter toxic speech at scale and build healthier civic dialogue online.
Hear more in @civichealthproject.bsky.social’s episode of Outrage Overload on the topic: Is There Still Hope for the Internet? 🎧
Should peacebuilders consider using AI for mediation? Two chatbots—Akord AI in Sudan and Cocorico in the Democratic Republic of Congo—show that customization and ethical guidelines can transform AI into effective peacebuilding tools.
techandsocialcohesion.substack.com/p/peace-by-p...
📣 Can AI finally break the engagement trap? At #TrustCon2025, Integrity Institute’s Jeff Allen saw signs of hope.
techandsocialcohesion.substack.com/p/can-ai-bre...
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?
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...
There’s no shortage of ideas to make social media better.
But testing them? Still way too hard.
We need real support for independent experimentation into what actually improves online behavior.
Make it easier to do — and harder to ignore.
🔗 techandsocialcohesion.substack.com/p/testing-be...
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...
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
🌍✨ How can we use AI to support—not replace—what makes us human?
We’re excited to see events like Human + Tech Week 2025 (June 14–20, San Francisco) leading the conversation around wellness, innovation, and the intersection of human potential with the future of AI.
🔗 Learn more: humantechweek.com
🚨 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...
Most people online aren’t arguing—they’re watching.
Our latest piece explores how vicarious contact—simply watching respectful political dialogue—can reduce polarization. Civility can be contagious.
📖 Read Contagious Civility: techandsocialcohesion.substack.com/p/contagious...
What if we could simulate peace deals before they’re signed—and see how groups respond? Digital twins, once used to model engines and cities, are now applied to divided societies, giving peacebuilders a powerful way to forecast conflict dynamics.
techandsocialcohesion.substack.com/p/will-the-p...
📣 Mark your calendars for this upcoming Webinar on TFGBV and Platform Design!
Join us for an engaging solutions-based webinar to discuss our latest report, Prevention by Design: Tackling TFGBV at the Source.
May 14 11:15 EDT (New York)
Registration link: lu.ma/gagkjlbf
Join II, Search for Common Ground, & @socialcohesiontech.bsky.social for a webinar on how platforms can prevent TFGBV.
We’ll unpack insights from our report, Prevention by Design, exploring behavioral and design strategies to build safer digital spaces for women.
🗓️ May 14, 2025
🔗 lu.ma/gagkjlbf
If you’ve ever thought about how technology and creativity can build peace instead of deepen divides, this is a space for you.
Details + proposal link here:
howtobuildpeace.org/attend-the-conference/register
Right now they’re accepting proposals for:
🎤 Short talks (share wins and lessons learned)
🛠️ Workshops (tech tools, movement sessions, guided walks, maker spaces)
🎨 Art installations + performances
Deadline: April 30, 2025
🌍 If you're working at the intersection of tech, creativity, and conflict transformation — Build Peace 2025 is worth a serious look. 🌍
This year's theme: "Towards a Pluriverse of Peace." Happening this November near Barcelona.
Americans are spending less time on social media—
but when they stay, they want more than noise.
📉 Use is down
🧠 Learning is up
🤝 Real connection is rising
The message is clear: Design for trust, or lose it.
psychoftech.substack.com/p/social-med...
“Friends without friction” might sound nice—but at what cost?
A new paper by Kim Malfacini asks what happens when AI chatbots always agree with us. Are they helping us connect—or slowly deskilling our ability to handle disagreement?
techandsocialcohesion.substack.com/p/friends-wi...
This isn’t just a moderation issue—it’s a design issue.
Our new report with @integrity-inst.bsky.social and Search for Common Ground highlights upstream solutions: nudges, filters, privacy-by-default, and better platform architecture.
👉 techandsocialcohesion.org/prevention-b...
The 016 in Worcester blends local news with social networking, enhancing community engagement and social cohesion. A promising model for strengthening local ties through technology.
newpublic.substack.com/p/blurring-b...
📣 New Report Calls for Proactive Solutions to Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV)
We teamed up with @socialcohesiontech.bsky.social on new report advocating for design-focused solutions to TFGBV. Let’s shift the burden off victims and build safer digital spaces. bit.ly/4ixrFo0
One solution to mis/disinformation? "Move beyond thinking of platform content moderation policies as 'the solution' and prioritize rethinking design."
@noupside.bsky.social in @noemamag.com www.noemamag.com/how-online-m...
New podcast! @justinhendrix.bsky.social spoke to @audreyt.org, @iyerland.bsky.social, and @bgoldberg.bsky.social about the opportunities and risks of deploying AI in online spaces. What design options are there to improve collective dialogue? www.techpolicy.press/promising-op...
Shout it from the rooftops! Algorithms can be better! #holdtechaccountable
