Paper
Rachel George, Ian Klaus
Programs
Carnegie California
About the Program
Carnegie California links developments in California and the West Coast with national and global conversations around technology, subnational affairs, and trans-Pacific relationships. At distance from national capitals, and located in one of the world’s great experiments in pluralist democracy, Carnegie California engages a wide array of stakeholders as partners in its research and policy engagement.
AI and Democracy: Mapping the Intersections
Program Experts
Ian Klaus
Founding Director, Carnegie California
Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar
President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Dan Baer
Senior Vice President for Policy Research, Director, Europe Program
Mark Baldassare
Nonresident Scholar, Carnegie California
Frances Z. Brown
Vice President for Studies; Acting Director, Africa Program
Liliana Gamboa
Nonresident Scholar, Carnegie California; Sustainability, Climate, and Geopolitics Program
Rachel George
Nonresident Scholar, Carnegie California
Scott Kohler
Nonresident Scholar, Carnegie California
Kenji Kushida
Senior Fellow, Asia Program
Cecilia Hyunjung Mo
Nonresident Scholar, Carnegie California
Hiroshi Motomura
Nonresident Scholar, Carnegie California
Alejandro N. Mayorkas
Visiting Scholar
Rob Reich
Nonresident Scholar, Carnegie California
Marissa Jordan
Program Manager, Carnegie California
Micah Weinberg
Nonresident Scholar, Carnegie California
Pillars
Key Areas of Research
Collection
Tech in Context
We examine ecosystems that inform and shape technological innovation and the political economies, geographies, and relationships that emerge in response to new developments.
Research
The innovations emerging at the frontier of artificial intelligence are poised to create historic opportunities for humanity but also raise complex policy challenges. As the epicenter of global AI innovation, California has a unique opportunity to continue supporting developments in frontier AI while addressing substantial risks that could have far-reaching consequences for the state and beyond.
- +20
Rishi Bommasani, Scott Singer, Ruth E. Appel, …
Commentary
On many policy issues, California’s urban centers are united. On AI, differences between the San Francisco Bay Area and the rest of state are notable.
Ian Klaus, Mark Baldassare
Commentary
Addressing the gap is essential to harness AI’s benefits, mitigate its risks, and ensure inclusive democratic resilience.
Rachel George, Abigail Manalese
Collection
Democratic Innovation
Carnegie California’s focus on state and local jurisdictions allows it to develop new approaches in the areas of democratic reform, migration, and climate action. We examine how cities and states address global challenges and shape emerging policy areas. This includes partnering with states to pilot digital deliberative democracy programs that thoughtfully incorporate artificial intelligence.
Commentary
Government benefits can increase civic participation, strengthen trust in society, and improve compliance with the rule of law. Taking them away can do the opposite.
Katrina Kosec, Cecilia Hyunjung Mo
Article
California’s difficulties with policy and project gridlock echo in large, complex, wealthy democracies worldwide—and consistent, pragmatic attention to lingering policy problems along with comprehensive political reform may be needed to fix it.
Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar, Micah Weinberg
Commentary
It’s ultimately local.
Hiroshi Motomura
Collection
Trans-Pacific Relationships
We analyze the unique set of exchanges—educational, commercial, cultural, infrastructure and diaspora—that inform the West Coast’s relationships with Asia, Oceania, as well as countries in Latin and South America.
Commentary
The hot-button topic must grapple with whether the law is meant to translate the country’s physical border into law or to define communities inside the United States.
Hiroshi Motomura
Commentary
Californians recognize the vulnerability of the state’s critical infrastructure—especially its ports.
Isaac B. Kardon
Article
Global cities have played a central role in the era of neoliberal economic governance, but there are several signs that this role is under strain or perhaps even coming to an end.
Ian Klaus, Simon Curtis
Collection
Carnegie California Surveys
Carnegie California conducts the broadest annual statewide surveys on Californians’ perceptions of global affairs and AI. The surveys feature findings on climate, migration, democracy, diplomacy, technology, trade, jobs, and the economy, and are considered in the context of their national and international findings.
Paper
California is acutely aware of the intense renegotiation happening almost daily in domestic and international politics.
- +1
Ian Klaus, Mark Baldassare, Marissa Jordan, …
Paper
Californians believe that AI will significantly impact their work, communities, and democracy. But this is offset by high levels of anxiety and uncertainty around specific impacts.
- +3
Ian Klaus, Mark Baldassare, Rachel George, …
Paper
The 2024 Carnegie California Global Affairs Survey reflects Californians’ heightened concerns about ongoing conflicts and critical elections, including in the United States. It arrives at a tense moment in American democracy and during a critical election year for many of the world’s leading democracies.
- +1
Ian Klaus, Mark Baldassare, Marissa Jordan, …