Democracy Innovators Podcast

Democracy Innovators Podcast@podcast

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2025 episodes (8)

Bjørn Bedsted about Democracy X, local transitions and global participation
Ep. 07

Bjørn Bedsted about Democracy X, local transitions and global participation

In this episode of Democracy Narrators podcast, Alessandro Oppo interviews Bjørn Bedsted, International Director of Democracy X, discussing the organization’s work on deliberative democracy, citizen participation, and sustainable development. Democracy X is a nonprofit foundation working to find solutions for societal challenges like developing technology in desirable directions, addressing planetary boundaries, and advancing democracy with innovative mechanisms.

Josef Lentsch about the Political Tech Summit and huge potential in digitally assisted democracy
Ep. 06

Josef Lentsch about the Political Tech Summit and huge potential in digitally assisted democracy

In this episode of Democracy Innovator, Alessandro Oppo interviews Josef Lentsch, founder and CEO of the Political Tech Summit. Josef shares insights on political technology, the distinction between civic tech and govtech, and how technology can strengthen democratic processes. Drawing from his background in psychology and public administration, Josef offers a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities in digital politics.

Lukas Salecker about deliberAIde and why generative AI makes a difference in deliberative democracy
Ep. 05

Lukas Salecker about deliberAIde and why generative AI makes a difference in deliberative democracy

In this episode of Democracy Innovators Podcast, Alessandro Oppo interviews Lukas Salecker about deliberAIde, an innovative platform that uses AI to enhance deliberative democratic processes like citizens’ assemblies. Lukas shares how deliberAIde helps make democratic participation more accessible, efficient, and scalable through AI-powered transcription, analysis, and reporting tools.

Geert Lovink about Democracy and the Internet. Do internet technologies help or harm?
Ep. 04

Geert Lovink about Democracy and the Internet. Do internet technologies help or harm?

Media theorist Geert Lovink discusses the internet’s military origins, its evolution, and its problematic relationship with democracy. He explores how digital networks democratized information while proving dangerous for voting systems. Lovink shares insights from his work with alternative media and warns about AI excluding cultural knowledge. He calls for Europeans to develop alternatives to Silicon Valley platforms while balancing crisis response with building democratic technological futures. democracyinnovators.com/geert-lovink-about-democracy-and-the-internet-do-internet-technologies-help-or-harm/

Marcin Woźniak about Swarmcheck and Argument Mapping: How democratic discourse can be more rational
Ep. 03

Marcin Woźniak about Swarmcheck and Argument Mapping: How democratic discourse can be more rational

NOTE: Because of some network problems, I had to repeat some questions. I had to cut the video a couple of times: to make it comprehensible, I’ve inserted a “beep” sound, to make it clear that is not Marcin that is repeating himself. I hope it is comprehensible. :) In this insightful episode, Marcin Woźniak discusses SwarmCheck, an innovative argument mapping software developed by the Optimum Foundation to improve rational public discourse and collective decision-making. SwarmCheck visualizes arguments as interactive networks, helping people find agreements and understand disagreements through an analytical approach. Marcin explains how the platform enhances critical thinking, reduces polarization, and has been successfully applied in policymaking, pharmaceutical research, and educational contexts. He shares his concerns about AI development and argues that combining collective human intelligence with artificial intelligence represents our best path forward in an increasingly complex world, where technology should augment rather than replace human reasoning. https://www.swarmcheck.ai/ https://democracyinnovators.com/marcin-wozniak-about-swarmcheck-and-argument-mapping-how-democratic-discourse-can-be-more-rational/

Artem Zhiganov, Harmonica: How to improve collective sense-making with GenAI
Ep. 02

Artem Zhiganov, Harmonica: How to improve collective sense-making with GenAI

A conversation with the creator of Harmonica, an open-source tool using AI to support collective sensemaking in online communities. We explore the origins of the project, its design for asynchronous dialogue, and the vision behind building democratic infrastructure without relying on venture capital.

Valentin Chaput about Open Source Politics. A decade of digital tools & the next generation
Ep. 01

Valentin Chaput about Open Source Politics. A decade of digital tools & the next generation

In this interview, Alessandro Oppo talks with Valentin Chaput from Open Source Politics about the evolution of civic tech, the challenges of institutional adoption, and the role of AI in digital democracy. They discuss key open-source tools like Decidim and Polis, the importance of collaboration, and the need to adapt civic tech to modern communication trends. Valentin emphasizes that the future of digital democracy depends on meaningful participation and interoperability between platforms.