Robert Bjarnason
@robertbjarnason.bsky.social
President/CTO at Citizens Foundation helping governments and citizens make better decisions through open platforms and artificial intelligence.
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
Autocracy to the left of us, democracy to the right, #TaiwanCanHelp🇹🇼 depolarize anew.
Navigating a fraught political landscape & finding uncommon ground is possible with pro-social media & collective care.☀️
Read on🔽 & let's #FreeTheFuture🖖 — together!
www.fastcompany.com/91339114/aud...
Navigating a fraught political landscape & finding uncommon ground is possible with pro-social media & collective care.☀️
Read on🔽 & let's #FreeTheFuture🖖 — together!
www.fastcompany.com/91339114/aud...
Audrey Tang wants to save democracy with ‘pro-social’ media
A senior fellow at the safer tech nonprofit Project Liberty Institute, Audrey Tang builds tools to fight political polarization.
www.fastcompany.com
June 21, 2025 at 1:41 AM
Autocracy to the left of us, democracy to the right, #TaiwanCanHelp🇹🇼 depolarize anew.
Navigating a fraught political landscape & finding uncommon ground is possible with pro-social media & collective care.☀️
Read on🔽 & let's #FreeTheFuture🖖 — together!
www.fastcompany.com/91339114/aud...
Navigating a fraught political landscape & finding uncommon ground is possible with pro-social media & collective care.☀️
Read on🔽 & let's #FreeTheFuture🖖 — together!
www.fastcompany.com/91339114/aud...
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
🛠️ We've built extraordinary tools but aren't using them to fix our democratic institutions. What if we treated democracy like cancer or carbon? 🤔 My new @fastcompany.com piece on how AI can strengthen democracy, modernize government
@stateofnewjersey.bsky.social
www.fastcompany.com/91351325/the...
@stateofnewjersey.bsky.social
www.fastcompany.com/91351325/the...
The debate over state-level AI bans misses the point
As federal lawmakers consider limits, state leaders are focusing on how artificial intelligence can strengthen democracy, improve public services, and modernize government.
www.fastcompany.com
June 16, 2025 at 1:03 PM
🛠️ We've built extraordinary tools but aren't using them to fix our democratic institutions. What if we treated democracy like cancer or carbon? 🤔 My new @fastcompany.com piece on how AI can strengthen democracy, modernize government
@stateofnewjersey.bsky.social
www.fastcompany.com/91351325/the...
@stateofnewjersey.bsky.social
www.fastcompany.com/91351325/the...
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
📰 Don't miss this week's Reboot Democracy News That Caught Our Eye!
rebootdemocracy.ai/newsthatcaug...
rebootdemocracy.ai/newsthatcaug...
💫 This week's AI, Democracy, and Governance News That Caught Our Eye is now live!
rebootdemocracy.ai/newsthatcaug...
What's new this week? ⬇️
rebootdemocracy.ai/newsthatcaug...
What's new this week? ⬇️
RebootDemocracy.AI Blog | News That Caught Our Eye #57
In the news this week: Engagements with public professionals on AI – one from Dubai, one from New Jersey – showcase why to use AI to do more public listening. The White House's AI directives lack esse...
rebootdemocracy.ai
May 8, 2025 at 6:30 PM
📰 Don't miss this week's Reboot Democracy News That Caught Our Eye!
rebootdemocracy.ai/newsthatcaug...
rebootdemocracy.ai/newsthatcaug...
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
🇧🇷 Brazil invites citizens into every stage of lawmaking: proposing bills, questioning witnesses, learning, and voting. AI can deepen this democratic innovation. More by Luis Kimaid, @bethnoveck.bsky.social, Alisson Bruno Dias De Queiroz, and Dane Gambrell rebootdemocracy.ai/blog/ai-lawm...
RebootDemocracy.AI
RebootDemocracy.AI - We believe that artificial intelligence can and should be harnessed to strengthen participatory democracy. Done well, participation and engagement lead to
1. Better governance
2...
rebootdemocracy.ai
March 26, 2025 at 11:00 AM
🇧🇷 Brazil invites citizens into every stage of lawmaking: proposing bills, questioning witnesses, learning, and voting. AI can deepen this democratic innovation. More by Luis Kimaid, @bethnoveck.bsky.social, Alisson Bruno Dias De Queiroz, and Dane Gambrell rebootdemocracy.ai/blog/ai-lawm...
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
New controlled study of AI voice mode on mental health finds complex results:
GPT-4 with an empathetic voice reduced loneliness, but heavier users, and especially when use was combined with a more neutral voice or those with particular personalities, had multiple negative impacts on users.
GPT-4 with an empathetic voice reduced loneliness, but heavier users, and especially when use was combined with a more neutral voice or those with particular personalities, had multiple negative impacts on users.
March 21, 2025 at 10:47 PM
New controlled study of AI voice mode on mental health finds complex results:
GPT-4 with an empathetic voice reduced loneliness, but heavier users, and especially when use was combined with a more neutral voice or those with particular personalities, had multiple negative impacts on users.
GPT-4 with an empathetic voice reduced loneliness, but heavier users, and especially when use was combined with a more neutral voice or those with particular personalities, had multiple negative impacts on users.
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
Democracy isn’t something you have, it's something you practice — daily. 🔄
@jasmine.bsky.social beautifully captures Taiwan’s civic heartbeat and why active participation matters now more than ever. 🌻
jasmi.news/p/taiwan-2025
@jasmine.bsky.social beautifully captures Taiwan’s civic heartbeat and why active participation matters now more than ever. 🌻
jasmi.news/p/taiwan-2025
garbage in, garbage out
notes on Taiwan, the US, and civic culture
jasmi.news
March 22, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Democracy isn’t something you have, it's something you practice — daily. 🔄
@jasmine.bsky.social beautifully captures Taiwan’s civic heartbeat and why active participation matters now more than ever. 🌻
jasmi.news/p/taiwan-2025
@jasmine.bsky.social beautifully captures Taiwan’s civic heartbeat and why active participation matters now more than ever. 🌻
jasmi.news/p/taiwan-2025
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
Nvidia announces Groot N1, a foundation model for humanoid robotics
Nvidia announces Groot N1, a foundation model for humanoid robotics
Nvidia is releasing what it’s calling an AI foundation model for humanoid robotics. Announced at GTC 2025, the model, dubbed Groot N1, is a “generalist” model, trained on both synthetic and real data. Nvidia claims that Groot N1 features a “dual system…
tcrn.ch
March 18, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Nvidia announces Groot N1, a foundation model for humanoid robotics
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
Using Gemini Flash Experimental to ruin art by adding ice cream.
March 13, 2025 at 5:31 AM
Using Gemini Flash Experimental to ruin art by adding ice cream.
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
AI isn't a tech fad for local gov, writes @burnescenter.bsky.social fellow Neil Kleiman @thegovlab.org —it's a game-changer that can triple productivity and transform resident engagement. But realizing the benefits requires culture change and training. #GovTech #AI rebootdemocracy.ai/blog/ai-will...
RebootDemocracy.AI Blog | AI Will Completely Transform Local Government in the Next 10 Years— If We Embrace It Effectively
AI will transform local government. To ensure these changes improve service delivery, we need to invest in training and culture change in local government.
rebootdemocracy.ai
March 14, 2025 at 2:15 PM
AI isn't a tech fad for local gov, writes @burnescenter.bsky.social fellow Neil Kleiman @thegovlab.org —it's a game-changer that can triple productivity and transform resident engagement. But realizing the benefits requires culture change and training. #GovTech #AI rebootdemocracy.ai/blog/ai-will...
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
I wrote about "vibeworking" and what it means to be an expert in a world where you can create things by just asking for them... until you hit the limits of what AI systems can do.
I also vibecoded my own little 3D town creation/ firetruck game in four prompts. www.oneusefulthing.org/p/speaking-t...
I also vibecoded my own little 3D town creation/ firetruck game in four prompts. www.oneusefulthing.org/p/speaking-t...
Speaking things into existence
Expertise in a vibe-filled world of work
www.oneusefulthing.org
March 11, 2025 at 6:37 PM
I wrote about "vibeworking" and what it means to be an expert in a world where you can create things by just asking for them... until you hit the limits of what AI systems can do.
I also vibecoded my own little 3D town creation/ firetruck game in four prompts. www.oneusefulthing.org/p/speaking-t...
I also vibecoded my own little 3D town creation/ firetruck game in four prompts. www.oneusefulthing.org/p/speaking-t...
Our Your Priorities platform, jointly developed by the Citizens Foundation and Evoly.ai has received top ratings in the People Powered 2025 Platform ratings! 🚀
Our new AI Workflow Engine brings Collective (👥) & Artificial (🤖) Intelligence together for better decisions.
Our new AI Workflow Engine brings Collective (👥) & Artificial (🤖) Intelligence together for better decisions.
February 23, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Our Your Priorities platform, jointly developed by the Citizens Foundation and Evoly.ai has received top ratings in the People Powered 2025 Platform ratings! 🚀
Our new AI Workflow Engine brings Collective (👥) & Artificial (🤖) Intelligence together for better decisions.
Our new AI Workflow Engine brings Collective (👥) & Artificial (🤖) Intelligence together for better decisions.
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
🏆 The Best Civic Tech & Digital Participation Tools of 2025!
We've just launched People Powered’s 2025 Digital Participation Tool Ratings! Find the top tools for your program.
www.peoplepowered.org/news-content...
#DigitalDemocracy #CivicTech #ParticipationTools #AIinGovernance #PeoplePowered
We've just launched People Powered’s 2025 Digital Participation Tool Ratings! Find the top tools for your program.
www.peoplepowered.org/news-content...
#DigitalDemocracy #CivicTech #ParticipationTools #AIinGovernance #PeoplePowered
Here are the best digital participation tools of 2025 — People Powered
Find the best tool for your digital participation program today!
www.peoplepowered.org
February 19, 2025 at 1:47 PM
🏆 The Best Civic Tech & Digital Participation Tools of 2025!
We've just launched People Powered’s 2025 Digital Participation Tool Ratings! Find the top tools for your program.
www.peoplepowered.org/news-content...
#DigitalDemocracy #CivicTech #ParticipationTools #AIinGovernance #PeoplePowered
We've just launched People Powered’s 2025 Digital Participation Tool Ratings! Find the top tools for your program.
www.peoplepowered.org/news-content...
#DigitalDemocracy #CivicTech #ParticipationTools #AIinGovernance #PeoplePowered
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
„To save the foundations of liberal democracy, we may need to rediscover its appeal to the ordinary citizen. If it’s something about the way politics is practised that citizens distrust, perhaps those politics need to change.“
Trust in politics is in long-term decline around the world – new research
Since 1990, trust in government has been declining in democratic countries across the world.
theconversation.com
February 20, 2025 at 6:44 PM
„To save the foundations of liberal democracy, we may need to rediscover its appeal to the ordinary citizen. If it’s something about the way politics is practised that citizens distrust, perhaps those politics need to change.“
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
wrote about Deep Research, which is very, very good at doing nuanced and complex research.
It is also the first narrow agent that can do sophisticated and likely quite economically valuable work, which tells us something important about the future. open.substack.com/pub/oneusefu...
It is also the first narrow agent that can do sophisticated and likely quite economically valuable work, which tells us something important about the future. open.substack.com/pub/oneusefu...
The End of Search, The Beginning of Research
The first narrow agents are here
open.substack.com
February 3, 2025 at 3:54 PM
wrote about Deep Research, which is very, very good at doing nuanced and complex research.
It is also the first narrow agent that can do sophisticated and likely quite economically valuable work, which tells us something important about the future. open.substack.com/pub/oneusefu...
It is also the first narrow agent that can do sophisticated and likely quite economically valuable work, which tells us something important about the future. open.substack.com/pub/oneusefu...
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
Two order of magnitude cost reduction in a month for reasoning models from OpenAI (also means large reduction in energy used to run the model)
February 3, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Two order of magnitude cost reduction in a month for reasoning models from OpenAI (also means large reduction in energy used to run the model)
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
Reboot Democracy in the Age of AI News That Caught Our Eye #40: This week Cong rules package on AI and House operations. New paper on LLMs and democratic deliberation. Trump AI policy and more stories on AI, democracy and gov rebootdemocracy.ai/blog/news-th... @thegovlab.org
January 11, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Reboot Democracy in the Age of AI News That Caught Our Eye #40: This week Cong rules package on AI and House operations. New paper on LLMs and democratic deliberation. Trump AI policy and more stories on AI, democracy and gov rebootdemocracy.ai/blog/news-th... @thegovlab.org
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
There has been a definite shift in recent weeks where insiders in the various AI labs are suggesting that very intelligent AIs are coming very soon.
I wrote a bit about why this might be happening and what we can take away from their apparent confidence. www.oneusefulthing.org/p/prophecies...
I wrote a bit about why this might be happening and what we can take away from their apparent confidence. www.oneusefulthing.org/p/prophecies...
Prophecies of the Flood
What to make of the statements of the AI labs?
www.oneusefulthing.org
January 10, 2025 at 3:04 PM
There has been a definite shift in recent weeks where insiders in the various AI labs are suggesting that very intelligent AIs are coming very soon.
I wrote a bit about why this might be happening and what we can take away from their apparent confidence. www.oneusefulthing.org/p/prophecies...
I wrote a bit about why this might be happening and what we can take away from their apparent confidence. www.oneusefulthing.org/p/prophecies...
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
As we approach 2025, my greatest hope for AI is that it will enable prosocial platforms that promote empathy, understanding, and collaboration rather than division.
www.deeplearning.ai/the-batch/ai...
www.deeplearning.ai/the-batch/ai...
AI That Unites Us | AI News & Insights
As we approach 2025, my greatest hope for AI is that it will enable prosocial platforms that promote empathy, understanding, and collaboration...
www.deeplearning.ai
January 7, 2025 at 4:11 PM
As we approach 2025, my greatest hope for AI is that it will enable prosocial platforms that promote empathy, understanding, and collaboration rather than division.
www.deeplearning.ai/the-batch/ai...
www.deeplearning.ai/the-batch/ai...
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
Bluesky can be a fraught place to post about AI but it is worth noting that the buzz over o1 (& now o3) is not “hype.” We know o1 can actually do some very hard tasks (see my post) & o3 appears to represent a big further leap.
They aren’t AGI, but will matter. www.oneusefulthing.org/p/what-just-...
They aren’t AGI, but will matter. www.oneusefulthing.org/p/what-just-...
What just happened
A transformative month rewrites the capabilities of AI
www.oneusefulthing.org
December 22, 2024 at 10:05 AM
Bluesky can be a fraught place to post about AI but it is worth noting that the buzz over o1 (& now o3) is not “hype.” We know o1 can actually do some very hard tasks (see my post) & o3 appears to represent a big further leap.
They aren’t AGI, but will matter. www.oneusefulthing.org/p/what-just-...
They aren’t AGI, but will matter. www.oneusefulthing.org/p/what-just-...
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
Feels like the Dreadnought Moment for AI is coming
When the HMS Dreadnought launched, she rendered all other warships obsolete. It was not one thing, but a mix of technologies combined into the right design that disrupted.
The pieces for transformative AI applications are there, not assembled yet.
When the HMS Dreadnought launched, she rendered all other warships obsolete. It was not one thing, but a mix of technologies combined into the right design that disrupted.
The pieces for transformative AI applications are there, not assembled yet.
December 17, 2024 at 4:54 AM
Feels like the Dreadnought Moment for AI is coming
When the HMS Dreadnought launched, she rendered all other warships obsolete. It was not one thing, but a mix of technologies combined into the right design that disrupted.
The pieces for transformative AI applications are there, not assembled yet.
When the HMS Dreadnought launched, she rendered all other warships obsolete. It was not one thing, but a mix of technologies combined into the right design that disrupted.
The pieces for transformative AI applications are there, not assembled yet.
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
Did you miss last week's Rebooting Democracy in the Age of AI lecture with Mayor San-Cheng Chang?
He explored how AI can enhance citizen engagement, improve decision-making, and more. Discover his vision for a tech-driven democracy: youtube.com/live/OoZeyWPjHx...
He explored how AI can enhance citizen engagement, improve decision-making, and more. Discover his vision for a tech-driven democracy: youtube.com/live/OoZeyWPjHx...
December 9, 2024 at 7:21 PM
Did you miss last week's Rebooting Democracy in the Age of AI lecture with Mayor San-Cheng Chang?
He explored how AI can enhance citizen engagement, improve decision-making, and more. Discover his vision for a tech-driven democracy: youtube.com/live/OoZeyWPjHx...
He explored how AI can enhance citizen engagement, improve decision-making, and more. Discover his vision for a tech-driven democracy: youtube.com/live/OoZeyWPjHx...
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
Burnes Center Director @bethnoveck.bsky.social is named to
@apolitical.bsky.social's Government AI 100 list!
Beth’s work is a testament to how democracy can be reimagined by leveraging AI. apolitical.co/list/en/gove...
@northeasternu.bsky.social
@apolitical.bsky.social's Government AI 100 list!
Beth’s work is a testament to how democracy can be reimagined by leveraging AI. apolitical.co/list/en/gove...
@northeasternu.bsky.social
December 11, 2024 at 7:00 PM
Burnes Center Director @bethnoveck.bsky.social is named to
@apolitical.bsky.social's Government AI 100 list!
Beth’s work is a testament to how democracy can be reimagined by leveraging AI. apolitical.co/list/en/gove...
@northeasternu.bsky.social
@apolitical.bsky.social's Government AI 100 list!
Beth’s work is a testament to how democracy can be reimagined by leveraging AI. apolitical.co/list/en/gove...
@northeasternu.bsky.social
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
Ég kýs. Use it or lose it.
November 30, 2024 at 10:56 AM
Ég kýs. Use it or lose it.
Reposted by Robert Bjarnason
