The Next Big Idea Daily How Will AI Transform Our Politics?
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Nov 6, 2025 
Bruce Schneier, a security technologist at Harvard, and Nathan Sanders, a data scientist at the Berkman Klein Center, dive into the intersection of AI and democracy. They explore how AI is already shaping legislation and government processes, often without proper oversight. The duo highlights the risks of AI concentrating power among elites while also discussing its potential for grassroots movements to redistribute influence. Their insights culminate in four actionable strategies to ensure AI enhances rather than undermines democratic integrity.
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AI Is Already Reshaping Democratic Systems
- AI has already reached into citizenship, legislation, the judiciary, and administration worldwide.
- Early examples show varied impact from AI-written laws to government agencies using AI for tasks big and small.
Low Oversight Enables Fast AI Adoption
- AI adoption often happens where there is little public oversight or permission required.
- Individual officials and agencies will deploy AI if it benefits them, regardless of public sentiment.
Ohio's Administrative Code Overhaul
- Ohio used AI to revise its administrative code, deleting millions of words touted as efficiency gains.
- The same process could be repurposed to ideologically reshape statutes depending on who controls it.
