Ask Me Anything: Inviting, Summarizing and Responding to Public Comments

Public comment is a cornerstone of democratic decision-making, yet government agencies often face two major challenges: encouraging meaningful participation and interpreting the often vast volume of responses they receive. This workshop explores how generative AI tools can support more inclusive, efficient, and insightful public engagement.

Join us for an interactive discussion on how to use AI to draft invitations for comment, and how — and when — to use it to summarize, categorize, and analyze public input. We’ll look at practical, do-it-yourself approaches for making sense of public feedback, including techniques for identifying themes, surfacing sentiment, and distilling expertise hidden in the comments.

We’ll also examine the ethical and governance implications of using AI in this context — from transparency and accountability to equity and trust. By the end of the session, participants will better understand both the opportunities and the limits of using AI to enhance democratic participation.