Why Partnering with AI is a Necessity and Not a Luxury for Peacebuilding

A conversation with Dr. Heather Ashby from the US Institute of Peace

This episode of NV Radio offers insight into the ways AI might be used to support peace and nonviolence. Stephanie and Michael welcome Dr. Heather Ashby of the US Institute of Peace, an expert on technology and its intersection with government and politics. Their discussion explores the ways AI might be used for both ill and for good in the public sphere. This dual possibility gives rise to the urgent need to understand how to orient it towards peace. Though aware of the dangers inherent in AI, Dr. Ashby reminds listeners that:

The original idea when social media started was to increase the commons so that you're meeting people in different parts of the world, or even in your country, your state, who you normally wouldn’t have encountered. [At this point, the aim of AI must be] to hold on to that and to try to leverage these tools to be able to do that. And to make connections and to build grassroots support.

We need not fear the potential damage AI could cause so long as we work deliberately to build its capacity to bring people together, to gather and spread reliable information as a way to promote peace, increase understanding and sustain communities throughout the world.

Transcript archived at Waging Nonviolence