Inviting Public Comments, Summarizing Public Comments, Responding to Public Comments

Public comment is a cornerstone of democratic decision-making, but agencies often struggle to both attract meaningful participation and make sense of the responses they receive. This workshop will explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the way governments invite, collect, and analyze public input on draft regulations, policies, and plans. Participants will learn how to use AI to craft requests for comments, use AI to help spread the word about open comment periods to reach more diverse voices, encourage constructive feedback, and then process thousands of comments efficiently without losing nuance. We will highlight techniques for using AI to detect themes, synthesize insights, and surface patterns for decision-makers. The session will also look at the opportunities and challenges of using AI responsibly in comment solicitation, including issues of transparency, equity, trust and efficiency. Moderated by Beth Noveck, Founder of InnovateUS and The GovLab.