Artificial intelligence (AI) is disrupting both the machinery and the preconditions that underpin democratic life, reshaping everything from elections and government, to information ecosystems, civic participation, labor markets and the economy. But AI is not emerging into a neutral landscape. It is interacting with institutions already under strain, where trust is declining.

AI is an accelerant, amplifying both strengths and weaknesses across existing systems. That AI will shape our democracy is obvious. What that will mean for our institutions, communities, and society as a whole will depend on whether institutions, funders, and civil society actors can adapt their strategies, tactics, and relationships quickly and concretely enough to ensure that accelerated technological change does not outpace democratic governance.

To better understand this moment, we spoke with funders, researchers, technologists, advocates, and policy experts working at the intersection of AI and democracy.

This report synthesizes what we heard, offering a systems-level view of how AI is influencing democratic institutions and society and, most distinctively, how the field believes funders must respond. The appendix includes summaries of over 130 organizations working across 17 categories at the intersection of AI and democracy.