Can AI Strengthen Democracy? | Sandy Pentland from Behavioral Grooves Podcast

Can AI Strengthen Democracy? | Sandy Pentland

1 hour 13 minutes Posted Mar 23, 2026 at 6:05 am.

] Introduction and Speed Round with Sandy Pentland

] Could AI make society less intelligent?

] What “shared wisdom” really means

] Culture, stories, and how societies evolve

] Information overload in the digital age

] Why shared goals (a “North Star”) matter for progress

] The history of AI: booms, winters, and lessons learned

] Can AI improve democracy?

] The danger of algorithmic “rich get richer” systems

] Grooving Session: storytelling, culture, and collective intelligence

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Show notes

AI pioneer Sandy Pentland joins us to explore how storytelling and shared wisdom shape human culture, and how artificial intelligence could either strengthen or freeze that process. From the history of AI to the future of democracy, we discuss collective intelligence, distributed decision-making, and how AI tools might actually improve civic dialogue if designed the right way.

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About Sandy

Shared Wisdom: Cultural Evolution in the Age of AI by Sandy Pentland

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