Tech Experts See Artificial Intelligence as a Key Resource Ahead of Local Elections

Cambridge’s local elections are just around the corner — and scientists Bruce Schneier and Nathan E. Sanders said that artificial intelligence will be a critical tool to help inform voters before they head to the polls.

Schneier and Sanders, a Harvard Kennedy School lecturer, co-authored the book “Rewiring Democracy” that was released on Oct. 21. The two appeared at a Cambridge Public Library panel to share more about how citizens can use AI to get involved in politics on Wednesday evening.

They noted that Cambridge’s municipal elections on Nov. 4 are a prime opportunity for voters to use AI. With the most crowded field of candidates in recent memory, Schneier — a New York Times bestselling author — said the technology can be used to help summarize information about candidates.

“I pay no attention to any local offices, and the night before I’m going to vote, I go online. I find voting guides. I read the candidates’ positions as described in the voting guide. I decide who I’m going to vote for, and I vote,” he said.“We can imagine an AI that’s paying attention to me and can do that research for me.”

But local politics is not the only venue that they see for AI to be used in politics.

Sanders said that AI also has a place in understanding state-level politics and legislation. He helped develop the Massachusetts Platform for Legislative Engagement — an online public platform that uses AI to organize information about state bills currently moving in legislature. With approximately 8,000 bills per session, Sanders said Massachusetts residents needed a better way to sift through information.

“We think it’s an assistive use case that supports that constructive aspect of democracy, helping people engage in the process to form their opinions and making it easier for legislatures, legislators, and constituents,” he said.

Sanders also mentioned the 2026 midterm elections as a scene for candidates to further incorporate AI in their campaigns, namely through interactions between AI chatbots and voters. The co-authors agreed that citizens can equally use AI to cultivate meaningful conversations, overall boosting democratic principles.

“It may sound like if you put a machine in that process, it becomes less impactful,” Sanders said. “But I actually see it differently. I see participation as a core aspect of democracy, that constructive purpose where when we participate, when we think through a policy process, it helps us form our views. It helps us be better citizens.”

While the co-authors recognized that many people are concerned that AI could become overly-prescriptive — eliminating voter agency to choose their own candidates — they said that citizens should think about the technology as just another tool.

“Think of it as a tool — a powerful tool, a power-enhancing tool,” Schneier said. “Technology is not going to save us.”

“You’re in charge of picking people,” he said.