Digital Democracy: Moving Beyond ‘Big Tech’ to Save Open Societies with Audrey Tang
Mar 26, 2025
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Audrey Tang, Taiwan's Digital Minister and Cyber Ambassador-at-large, passionately discusses how technology can preserve democracy and enhance civic engagement. She shares insights from Taiwan's Sunflower Movement, showcasing innovative digital tools that foster public dissent and collaboration. Tang emphasizes utilizing social media to combat polarization and misinformation, while advocating for decentralized technology that prioritizes community well-being. The conversation highlights the significance of language in democratic participation and the role of intergenerational collaboration in resilient governance.
Reframing technical language to a more human-centric perspective fosters inclusivity and guides technological advancements towards shared human experiences.
Audrey Tang's initiatives in Taiwan exemplify how technology can empower citizen participation in governance and enhance public engagement in policy discussions.
Addressing misinformation through collaborative citizen engagement not only fosters shared responsibility but also leads to more informed legislative responses that reflect community consensus.
Deep dives
Reimagining Digital Language for Humanity
The episode emphasizes the significance of reframing current technical terminologies to foster a more human-centric perspective. Instead of terms like 'human resources' or 'user experience,' it advocates for concepts such as 'human experience' and 'internet of beings,' which prioritize people's needs and experiences. This shift in language aims to correct category errors in our societal perceptions and reflections, ultimately guiding technological and governmental innovations towards more inclusive and understanding frameworks. By adopting more empathetic language, it becomes easier to create a collective vision that resonates with the shared human experience.
Empowering Grassroots Movements through Technology
The discussion showcases the potential of technology as a tool for empowering citizen participation in governance, exemplified by Audrey Tang's work in Taiwan. Through initiatives like citizen assemblies and digital public spaces, people have been enabled to engage in meaningful policy discussions, offering alternatives rather than mere protests against decisions. The successful inclusion of large public consultations illustrates how technology can bridge ideological divides and result in collaborative solutions that prioritize community needs. These approaches underscore the transformative power of involving citizens directly in democratic processes, enhancing their ability to influence policies that affect them.
Adaptive Learning to Combat misinformation
Central to the conversation is the urgent need to address misinformation, particularly concerning issues like online advertisement scams and deepfake technology. The approach taken by Tang and their team involved large-scale public engagement through SMS outreach that solicited citizen feedback on the topic, ultimately leading to a collaborative online deliberation. By utilizing representative samples from the population, they created a platform where people could discuss potential legislative responses collectively. This method not only mitigated misinformation but also fostered a sense of shared responsibility, allowing for solutions that garnered broad consensus among various societal groups.
The Role of Language and Values in Engagement
Tang discusses the transformative role of language in shaping interactions and governance, particularly in the context of young people's engagement. By promoting a culture of care and empathy, the conversation emphasizes the shift from seeing individuals as mere 'consumers' to recognizing them as valued human beings with shared feelings and experiences. This linguistic shift is essential for encouraging collaborative dialogues that transcend ideological barriers, fostering a community-centric approach to policy-making. Ultimately, the discourse advocates for a language that prioritizes values of inclusivity and responsibility to guide future civic engagement.
Navigating the Future: Plurality vs. Singularity
The episode wraps up with a focus on the philosophical contrast between the concepts of plurality and singularity as they relate to technology and democracy. The notion of singularity envisions a future dominated by powerful AI that could outpace humanity's control, whereas plurality promotes a more balanced, inclusive approach to technological advancement that facilitates collaboration and care. This dialogue reflects the urgency of ensuring that technological advancement serves as a tool for collective empowerment rather than division. Acknowledging this dynamic is essential for navigating the complexities of modern governance and aligning innovations with humanistic values.
As the world is increasingly shaped by the dominance of ‘Big Tech’ – including the race for Artificial Intelligence – the outsized impact on our democratic and information systems has left many with fears and confusion about the path forward. But what if we could use technology as a tool that helps preserve the values of democracy and increases civic engagement, rather than eroding them? Furthermore, what sorts of people, projects, and policies are already paving the way?
Today Nate is joined by Taiwanese Digital Ambassador at large, Audrey Tang, to explore real-world examples of how technology is being leveraged globally to address – and in some cases reverse – critical societal challenges, such as polarization, misinformation, and the erosion of trust in governments and institutions.Tang emphasizes the importance of digital democracy, civic engagement, and incentivizing care in our policy making decisions to create a better experience and world for all humans.
Is it possible to use social media as a tool that unifies citizens across polarized societies? How could technology be used to amplify the voices of citizens and influence policy making with human and planetary well-being in mind? And finally, even as technological corporations continue to consolidate power, what options are available to individuals who want to engage with technology in new and empowering ways?
(Conversation recorded on March 4th, 2025)
About Audrey Tang:
Audrey Tang is Taiwan’s Cyber Ambassador-at-large and was the first Digital Minister of Taiwan. Audrey is celebrated for their pioneering efforts in digital freedom. Named one of TIME’s “100 Most Influential People in AI” in 2023, Tang was instrumental in shaping Taiwan’s internationally acclaimed COVID-19 response and in safeguarding the 2024 presidential and legislative elections from foreign cyber interference. Audrey is now focused on broadening their vision of Plurality — technology for collaborative diversity — to inspire global audiences.
