Deb Roy, a media arts and sciences professor at MIT and co-founder of Cortico, joins Kathy Cramer, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, to discuss innovative AI systems promoting dialogue. They delve into how technology can elevate underrepresented voices, the effectiveness of smaller group discussions over traditional meetings, and the emotional disconnect felt by rural voters in politics. The conversation emphasizes understanding personal narratives to bridge political divides and create healthier community interactions.
The Cortico platform fosters community dialogue by merging advanced technology with intimate conversations to amplify underheard voices.
AI tools are utilized to analyze discussions, uncovering important themes that enhance understanding of community sentiments and dynamics.
Deep dives
Amplifying Underheard Voices
The initiative focuses on amplifying underheard voices through a unique conversational approach, merging small group discussions with advanced technology. This model involves facilitating intimate conversations with a guide and recording them to capture diverse perspectives. AI tools are then employed to analyze and identify themes across these conversations, enabling a broader understanding of community sentiments. This method facilitates dialogue that empowers participants, fostering a richer sense of community engagement compared to traditional focus groups.
Navigating Difficult Conversations
The platform effectively allows participants to discuss sensitive topics, such as race, in a way that feels supportive and safe. By creating an environment where individuals can share their experiences without immediate responses from others, it encourages authentic dialogue. Participants express their thoughts and feelings to peers who are designated to simply listen, facilitating a notable comfort in discussing complex societal issues. This innovative approach has proven effective in surfacing deeper insights into community dynamics, particularly around contentious subjects.
The Role of AI in Sense-Making
AI plays a crucial role in sifting through the recorded conversations to discover recurrent themes and highlights. This process involves identifying salient points from discussions, which enables a deeper understanding of the collective insights shared within communities. The AI tools complement the conversational process, transforming open-ended dialogues into structured insights that are accessible for future reflection and decision-making. By harnessing AI, the platform democratizes the analysis of community conversations, making it easier for diverse groups to connect over shared experiences.
Understanding Rural Sentiment
Conversations within rural communities reveal a pervasive sense of being overlooked and a desire for representation in political discourse. Residents express frustrations regarding their concerns being overshadowed by urban issues, feeling as if decisions made by city officials are disconnected from their realities. This sentiment was especially highlighted in discussions around the support for political figures like Donald Trump, who resonates with their struggles and emphasizes their value. The platform captures these nuanced expressions, shedding light on the complexities of rural voices and their experiences in American politics.
Cortico, in collaboration with the MIT Center for Constructive Communication (CCC), has built a platform that connects rather than divides communities, and in so doing, helps create a healthier society. We talked to its CEO and co-founder, Deb Roy, and one of its Directors, Prof. Kathy Cramer, about how it works and how it's working.
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