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The Lost Art of Debate: Can AI Help Citizens Unite and Build Shared Vision for Our Nations Amidst Polarization?

Being Human for a Better Tomorrow in the Age of AI

  • September 26, 2025
  • 54th Edition
Soceity The Lost Art of Debate Can AI Help Citizens Unite and Build Shared Vision for Our Nations Amidst Polarization

Divided Times

Last few years have been strange. There is palpable excitement about AI and technology developments, a lot of us as individuals and family are showing tremendous resilience amidst turbulent environment. Yet as a society of citizens across nations we seem fragile driven by deep polarization and shared vision for the future.

The divisions causing polarization as seen in news and media seem to run deep- be it by beliefs such as conservative vs liberal, majority vs minority, religion vs religion, sciences vs religion or by divisions by identities such as gender, age group, economic status, ethnicity.

The concern on widespread polarization and lack of shared vision is also backed by data.

  • In the 2024 Allianz Social Resilience Index, political polarization intensified: In 58 of 65 countries, the Dalton Index of left-right party spread and electoral base increased significantly over the past decade, with only seven countries managing to reduce polarization (Source: Allianz, 2024).
  • In the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, grievance dominates: 62% globally say society feels like a zero-sum game, in 16 of 28 countries majority groups feel discriminated against alongside minority grievances, only 36% expect life to be better for the next generation, and in 17 of 28 countries government is distrusted (Source: Edelman Trust Barometer 2025).

“The best way to settle an argument, sir, is to have it conducted by people who agree with you entirely.” – P.G. Wodehouse

Can we do better?

A solution from Athens to Ireland

A major reason for the concern is citizen participation in shaping the future.

Athens the oldest democracy shows the way here. Athenians used ‘Sortition’ selection of citizens using a two- step invitation process to arrive at representative sample for deliberations.

Citizen Assemblies (CA) worked well not only for Athens but also in modern times.

Ireland and 54 Countries

In Ireland, decades of political deadlock over abortion was broken through a Citizens’ Assembly established in 2016. Ninety-nine randomly selected citizens, broadly representative of society, deliberated over five sessions, heard from experts, and reviewed thousands of public submissions. Guided by principles of fairness, openness, and respect, the Assembly concluded that the constitutional ban (Eighth Amendment) was unfit for purpose: 87% agreed it should not be retained.

A majority recommended repeal and replacement with parliamentary authority to legislate on abortion. Their recommendations were passed to Parliament, shaping the eventual referendum. In 2018, with 64% turnout, voters repealed the amendment by a decisive margin, showing how structured citizen deliberation enabled consensus and unlocked reform on a deeply divisive issue

There are many more. The OECD database shows 54 countries used Citizen Assembly to find resolutions with 733 assemblies for addressing contentious issues and find common ground.

Most of us have experienced this: when we actually sit down and discuss issues, the distances between us don’t seem so far.

In finding consensus-what’s good for friends and family also works for society

The Habermas Machine - AI led Mediation for Consensus Building

Researchers at Google DeepMind built an AI system named the Habermas Machine to test whether AI could mediate group deliberation more effectively than human moderation.

The process was elegant: Over 5,000 UK participants were grouped to discuss divisive topics like Brexit and climate change. The AI generated candidate “group statements,” learned each person’s preferences, and iteratively refined statements based on feedback until reaching consensus.

Results & Findings

The experiments yielded promising outcomes:

  • AI-generated statements were preferred 56% of the time over human-moderated ones
  • Participants' positions converged toward group consensus - a shift not seen in unmediated groups
  • Importantly, the AI incorporated minority critiques rather than just reinforcing majority views
  • A virtual citizens' assembly with 200 demographically representative UK participants showed similar success

While promising, limitations remain: mediation isn’t full deliberation, bias correction is limited, and social interaction is missing.

These gaps point to why we need improved AI technology and integrate this with formal citizen participation to validate, balance, and anchor discussions in shared principles.

Values AI for Society and Civilization

In the 50th edition of Mindvista – Values AI: Bridging the Trust Deficit in Institutions, Business, and Ourselves, we proposed a dual-engine architecture for trust.

Unlike current AI that excels at generating content (“Right Brain”), Values AI adds a validation engine (“Left Brain”) trained on ethical, civic, and professional codes. This duality makes AI not only intelligent but also principled — producing insights that can be scored for integrity, transparency, and fairness. See Sidebar 1 on Values AI.

For instance, when a Citizens’ Assembly discusses climate policy, the Generative Engine synthesizes expert testimony while the Validation Engine checks for factual accuracy and ensures minority and scientific views aren’t excluded.

Values AI offers a systemic way to rebuild confidence, ensuring that what is produced, debated, and acted upon in public life aligns with shared human values.

Where the Habermas Machine nudges groups toward consensus, Values AI goes further: it makes consensus principled and auditable, addressing the trust deficit at its root.

Values AI in the Loop for Citizen Action

Citizen Assemblies are gaining traction globally as tools to navigate divisive issues — from abortion in Ireland to climate policy in France. Yet their credibility rests on fairness, informed deliberation, balanced outcomes, and transparent follow-through.

Building on the four stages of citizen action identified in deliberative democracy research (Recruitment & Planning, Learning, Deliberation/Decision-Making, and Follow-up), Values AI can act as an ethical loop at each stage:

  • Recruitment & Planning: Validation agents detect bias in participant selection, publishing transparent fairness audits.
  • Learning: Generative AI summarizes expert testimony; Validation AI checks factual accuracy and neutrality, ensuring participants share a common ground of truth.
  • Deliberation/Decision-Making: Draft consensus statements are accompanied by integrity scores, showing where majority views risk drowning out minority voices.
  • Follow-up: Values Agents track “Say Do gaps,” holding governments accountable to the recommendations assemblies endorse.

This “Values AI in the loop” model transforms citizen assemblies into trust-producing institutions. They do not merely resolve deadlock but embed integrity in every step from how people are chosen to how commitments are honored.

Why This Matters to You and Everyone

Clearly every citizen should be concerned and engaged in building a shared vision for their nation, But going beyond rhetoric, it matters in tangible ways to every stakeholder

  • Citizens Need for hope - Only 36% of us feel that the next generation will be better off (Edelman Trust) . There is no way to address the grievance and polarization without citizen action and demonstrably Citizen Assemblies have proved that.
  • Governance - Rwanda is a great example of notable impact in economic growth metrics, human development impact and social cohesion all can be better when there is cohesion and unity. See Sidebar 2 on Rwanda’s Unity Outcomes
  • Business can be better - 2024 Allianz survey shows that polarization comes with an economic cost as it impacts consumer behavior and confidence. A -10% and -20% one-period consumer confidence shock would decrease consumption by USD105bn (USD304 per capita) and USD215bn (USD622 per capita) over the next four years. In Europe, the same shocks would decrease consumption by USD52bn (USD147 per capita) and USD103bn (USD296 per capita).

Clearly unity amidst diversity is good for all and for future.

Planet Earth is Blue.. What Can I Do?

In my last post, I wrote

With conflicts, social tensions, and the decline of transparency and meaningful dialogue across societies, David Bowie’s prescient line from Space Oddity hits hard these days.

But then I’m reminded of the wisdom often attributed to Steve Jobs about some years being for winning, and others for building character.

It feels like we’re in a collective character-building year. For the optimists and futurists, this is our time to dig in.

Let’s continue to believe in a better tomorrow and, more importantly, do the work to help create it.’

So in my own small way I would like to think, write and hope these writings create the awareness and inspire action for better tomorrow for 100% of us and our next generation,

Share your thoughts and experience.

  • Is the polarization, grievance and loss of shared vision real?
  • Do you think citizen involvement in shaping policy and Citizen Assembly is a good improvement for the current political governance?
  • Would Values AI help scale Citizen Assemblies?
  • What can we as citizens do?

If this was helpful do let me know. If someone needs to read this please share and tag,

Thank you for your citizenship,

Best wishes

PS: Acknowledge the great work and encourage reading references for details.

Sidebar 1: Values AI

Values AI: A Dual-Engine AI Architecture for Trust

The crisis of trust cannot be solved with more of the same data-driven intelligence that, in part, fuels our anxiety. The solution requires a new kind of AI, one designed not just to process facts but to weigh principles. Let’s call it Values AI.

This is not a single technology but a new dual engine architecture, an integrated system that functions like the human brain’s two hemispheres working in concert:

The “Right Brain” AI (The Generative Engine)

This is the AI we know today—the powerful, pattern-recognising, data-driven Large Language Models (LLMs). They are masters of processing vast information, synthesising content, and identifying correlations. They answer “what is” and “what could be.”

The “Left Brain” AI (The Validation Engine)

This is the innovation. A new class of AI engine trained not on the open internet, but a logic engine built on a curated corpus of foundational logic and principles like Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), UN Global Compact principles, Universal Declaration of Human RIghts and common code of values, morals and ethics.

Its purpose is not to create information, but to validate it. It acts as a check and balance, asking “is this true?” and “is this right?”

This dual-engine model provides a mechanism for generating a quantifiable, transparent “Trust Score”—a FICO score for integrity.

Sidebar 2: Rwanda's Remarkable Model: Measurable Unity Outcomes

Economic Growth Metrics:
  • Rwanda has shown impressive economic resilience, with GDP growth averaging 7.4% annually between 2000 and 2023 New Report Outlines Pathways to Sustainable Growth in Rwanda
  • Rwanda's economy grew by 8.9% in 2024, following impressive quarterly performances of 9.7% in Q1, 9.8% in Q2, 8.1% in Q3, and 8% in Q4 New Report Outlines Pathways to Sustainable Growth in Rwanda

Human Development Impact:

  • Between 1990 and 2019, as HGSs were implemented, Rwanda's HDI value increased by 119%, the highest average growth in the world Other countries can learn from Rwanda's development metrics | United Nations Development Programme
  • This growth has been accompanied by improvements in social indicators, including life expectancy nearing 70 years, enhanced healthcare access, and expanded educational attainment New Report Outlines Pathways to Sustainable Growth in Rwanda
Social Cohesion Metrics:
  • Institutions like the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC), established in 1999, reinforced this by fostering dialogue and monitoring social cohesion, with 94% of Rwandans expressing trust in unity programs by 2024
  • By 2025, Rwanda's social and political framework reflects remarkable progress, with policies fostering gender equality (51% of parliamentary seats held by women, the world's highest) and social cohesion
  • Rwanda achieved this through innovative governance approaches including performance contracts (Imihigo) and monthly community work (Umuganda) that fostered collective responsibility.

While Rwanda’s model has critics, its unity programs show how deliberate, structured participation can drive cohesion.

Best wishes.

Acknowledgement and References:

II. Questioning / Asking

Good conversations flow from well‑sequenced questions—topical, simple, coherent, cohesive.
LLM Conversation Example 1
Q: What are empirical judgments?

A: Empirical judgments are based on observation, experience, or experimentation.
Q: What are moral judgments?

A: Moral judgments are based on ethical principles and values.
“AI is a language. Treat it like one: practice, iterate, and mind your grammar prompts, assumptions, and verification.”
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