Artificial intelligence isn’t just a futuristic buzzword—it’s already reshaping politics, governance, and even citizenship. That’s the argument Bruce Schneier, one of the world’s foremost security technologists and author of the forthcoming Rewiring Democracy: How AI Will Transform Our Politics, Government, and Citizenship, makes in his conversation on the Campaign Trend Podcast.
Rather than focusing on sensationalist fears of “deepfakes” or utopian visions of AI-fueled progress, Schneier emphasizes a more grounded framework: AI as a power magnifier. The key question is whether these tools will concentrate influence in the hands of a few or distribute it more broadly.
He points to practical, often-overlooked applications already at work. In Brazil, a city council ordinance was drafted with the help of AI and passed into law—an example of humans using AI as an assistive tool within established democratic processes. On the campaign trail, AI is making it possible for local candidates without big budgets to manage paperwork, create websites, and connect with voters. In the courtroom, AI can lower barriers to justice by helping with legal research, though it also risks reinforcing the advantage of well-resourced attorneys.
Schneier introduces a helpful framework of the “four S’s”—speed, scale, scope, and sophistication—as the dimensions where AI outperforms humans. Even if an AI isn’t “better” overall, it can become indispensable when it outpaces humans on just one of these fronts. That’s why tools are already being used to simulate polling, translate campaign speeches into dozens of languages, and facilitate online debates at scales impossible for human moderators.
But Schneier also warns of risks: job displacement, regulatory overreach that stifles innovation, and the possibility that AI could undermine rather than strengthen democratic participation. The challenge for policymakers and practitioners alike is ensuring transparency, accountability, and the development of “public AI” systems built for civic purposes rather than solely corporate profit.
At its core, Schneier argues, democracy isn’t just about outcomes—it’s about the process of participation. AI may be able to make that process more inclusive, efficient, and accessible. The test ahead is whether we use it to expand power to more citizens—or narrow it to the few.