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

Bjørn Bedsted about Democracy X, local transitions and global participation

Episode description

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.

0:00Introduction and welcome
0:35What is Democracy X?
2:00History and background of Democracy X
4:12World Wide Views and global citizen participation
7:00AI and civic participation technologies
9:10AI as a facilitator not substitute for democracy
10:36Climate change and the need for democratic transitions
12:55European innovation policy and regulations
14:30Shaping the future we want vs unlimited innovation
15:30Bjørn's personal and professional background
18:00Deliberative democracy and the search for truth
20:40Anthropology's influence on global democratic models
23:00Compensating citizens for participation in democracy
25:30Growing knowledge gaps between experts and policymakers
28:50Challenges to Western democracies
31:10Technology integration in democratic systems
34:00Structure and team at Democracy X
37:10Message to others working on civic participation
38:30Closing thoughts and thank you