Civic Assembly develops AI guidelines for local government

Mehr Demokratie — How should a local authority use artificial intelligence (AI) without losing sight of transparency, data protection and democratic oversight? In the spring of 2026, the Snohomish County Civic Assembly in the US state of Washington addressed this question. Instead of expert panels or traditional public hearings, the county opted for a process that has gained international prominence in recent years: a randomly selected Civic Assembly.

Over the course of three weekends, 29 randomly selected residents came together. The group, selected according to criteria such as age, gender, background and place of residence, worked together for around 40 hours to draw up recommendations for the future use of AI in the county administration. The findings are intended to serve as a guide for the County Council.

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