As a proud partner of the Political Tech Summit, Participation Factory was thrilled to contribute to this groundbreaking event held in Berlin on January 25, 2025. The summit brought together a diverse range of experts and innovators from across the political spectrum, providing a unique platform to explore the intersection of technology and politics. This gathering was not just about showcasing the latest tools and trends; it was about fostering a deeper understanding of how technology can enhance democratic processes and governance.
Larger Scope, Similar Issues
First of all, we need to acknowledge that political tech as presented at the Summit is a broader concept than civic tech. While civic tech focuses on creating opportunities for citizen participation and enhancing civic engagement, political tech encompasses a wider range of technologies that support political processes, governance, and decision-making. This includes tools for politicians, political parties, and government institutions to streamline operations and better connect with constituents and mobilise them as Nationbuilder.
However, from the discussions at various panels and at the booths with participants of the expo, it was obvious that the challenges of political tech are similar to those faced by civic tech. Effective engagement of users requires more than just technology. It demands thoughtful process design that considers the needs and contexts of all stakeholders one is willing to reach. It is also essential to understand which communication channels to use in order to reach a desired target audience and direct them towards an online public space. This is where our expertise lies—in creating engagement online, in-person, and hybrid processes that are inclusive, impactful, and accessible to the communities they serve.
Navigating the Online Public Space
However, even channeling the public towards an online public space does not guarantee satisfactory engagement. One of the key discussions at the summit revolved around the challenges of maintaining effective and healthy online public space. Beth Goldberg from Jigsaw, Google, highlighted that online spaces often lack clear social norms and incentives for meaningful engagement. In practice it means that anonymity of participants allows for harmful behavior, unconstructive dialogue, while algorithms of engagement either create information bubbles or reward the most contraversial comments and ideas. However, according to Beth, this is a design issue that can be addressed by “bridging” through fostering empathy and constructive interactions among users. At the same time, AI can play a crucial role in this regard by supporting participants and simplifying accessibility to information by aggregating data and presenting it in a coherent and meaningful way, as demonstrated by tools like Pol.is.
Reimagining Power and Innovation
Yet it is necessary to remember that political tech is still a young field. During a session on Reimagining Power one of the speakers noted that we are still in the early stages of political tech, likening us to “political tech toddlers.” In reality it means that despite a fast speed of technological advances, the pace of innovation in political and governance environments remains slow mostly due to rigid structures and fundraising models that do not accommodate innovation.
There is a clear need to pick up the pace of creating necessary infrastructure and frameworks for maintaining a healthy pace of technological advancement in the field of civic and political engagement. At the same time, the discussion further emphasized the need to shift our general attitude towards innovation in politics. We collectively need to move from criticism and negative feedback to imagining and implementing practical solutions. So, political tech tools should have clearly defined roles and purposes, serving as effective tools rather than a goal in themselves. We at Participation Factory share this belief as we firmly stand by the idea that technology should augment human capabilities and be integrated with a clear purpose and well-defined engagement process in mind.
The Role of AI in Political Tech
Some of the most compelling discussions at the summit revolved around the topic of AI in political tech. It is obvious that AI has the potential to revolutionize political communication, making it more targeted and effective. For politicians and government officials, AI can fill gaps in capacity and expertise, providing insights and automating tasks to improve efficiency, such as analysis of large volumes of data or streamlining mass communication. At the same time, AI cxan bring significant benefits for citizens, as it can support complex tasks, such as navigating bureaucratic processes – for example, applying for unemployment benefits – or accessing specific information buried in a large volume of reports and documents, as for example, done by Panoramic (AI-powered platform developed by make.org) in the Citizens’ Convention on the end of life.
However, the integration of AI in political tech must be approached with caution. Ethical considerations and transparency are paramount to ensure that AI is used responsibly and builds trust among users. It is necessary to assure that AI does not replicate existing biases and presents clear and truthful data. At the same time, the value and reasoning for using AI should be clearly communicated to possible users, so that they can take a bigger ownership and have trust in the process. As noted previously, it’s important to advocate for a human-centered approach to AI, where technology augments rather than replaces human decision-making in order to create meaningful engagement opportunities that empower citizens and foster a more inclusive political landscape.
The Future of Political Tech
The Political Tech Summit marked a significant step in advancing political technologies and integrating them into the democratic process. As we look to the future, it is clear that technology will play an increasingly important role in shaping political and civic life as well governance. However, we need to remember that technology is a tool, and its effectiveness depends on how it is designed and implemented.
At Participation Factory, we are dedicated to harnessing the power of technology to create more participatory and effective democratic processes. We believe that by combining innovative technologies with thoughtful process design, we can overcome the challenges of engagement and build a more inclusive and responsive political landscape.
The Political Tech Summit was just the beginning. As a key partner, Participation Factory invites you to join us in shaping the future of political tech. Whether you are a politician, a civic tech innovator, or a concerned citizen, your voice and ideas are essential to this conversation. Together, we can create a more participatory and effective democratic process that serves the needs of all.
If you’re interested to learn more about political and civic tech, check out our Civic Tech Market Report or reach out to us directly at info@participationfactory.com