Lately I’ve noticed something subtle in AI spaces—politics keeps finding its way in. Sometimes through analysis, sometimes through memes designed to stir emotion. It’s not surprising. Wherever humans gather, debate follows.
Earlier this year, I built Bridging the Aisle—a small web platform that turns that energy in another direction. It uses AI not to amplify outrage, but to structure dialogue that actually goes somewhere. People respond to guided prompts, reflect before replying, and start to see where shared ground still exists.
It’s experimental, sure. But it left me wondering whether AI, the same tool used to manipulate and divide, might also become the quiet scaffolding that helps rebuild civic trust.
We talk a lot about AI’s productivity gains. Less about its potential for empathy, listening, or repair.
Maybe that’s where the next frontier is hiding.
What do you think—can AI help us remember how to talk to each other again?