CivitasAI: Shaping identity, rights, governance, and society in the AI era

Overall purpose

CivitasAI examines the civic and societal implications of AI, including digital selves, autonomous agents, AI citizenship, accountability, and public trust. Drawing on technology policy, philosophy of mind, cognitive science, and the humanities, it explores how AI changes our understanding of intelligence and consciousness while keeping human rights and agency central. Its role is to connect open inquiry with useful guidance for leaders and institutions, not to endorse a particular philosophical doctrine or presume that artificial systems possess consciousness.

Programs and activities

Governance and societal research.

• Policy briefs, case studies, and foresight discussions on identity, digital representation, rights, accountability, and AI-mediated institutions.

Interdisciplinary public dialogue.

• Fellow-led articles, webinars, and roundtables that connect technical, policy, and human perspectives and distinguish evidence from opinion.

Cross-Center inquiry.

• The Consciousness, Intelligence and Human Transformation Initiative, anchored here and developed with Education and Leadership, connects questions about mind and agency with responsible leadership practice.

The pandemic, the economic uncertainty, and political volatility in so many countries make AI automation in government a crucial topic to explore. Now is the time for taking stock and having the courage to come up with bold new ideas, as some put it, it’s time for a reset. The future is hurtling towards us and accelerating, within just a generation, we could see AI contributing to a more balanced, transparent, and clean democratic process.

Carlo Tortora Brayda

Founder and Chairperson at Tortora Brayda Institute