Skip to Georgetown Democracy Initiative Full Site Menu Skip to main content
Georgetown University Logo

Georgetown Democracy Initiative

March 26, 2026

A Roundtable Discussion on AI and Democracy

A group of people walking in a lit-up room

This roundtable gathered the Georgetown University community to reflect on the intersections between artificial intelligence (AI) and democracy. It built and expanded on the two-panel event "Making AI Work for the People," taking place March 25 on Georgetown University’s Capitol Campus. Following brief opening remarks from a small panel, roundtable attendees engaged in an open discussion, exploring key themes, unanswered questions, and implications for research, policy, and pedagogy relating to AI and democracy. The session offered an opportunity to deepen the previous evening's conversation in a smaller, more intimate setting and to consider how Georgetown, given its unique position in the nation's capital, can advance scholarship and practice at the intersection of AI and democratic governance.

This event was co-sponsored by the Georgetown Democracy Initiative and the Georgetown Initiative on Artificial Intelligence and Democratic Citizenship at Georgetown University.

Participants

Will Fleisher

Will Fleisher

Will Fleisher is an assistant professor of philosophy and assistant research professor in the Center for Digital Ethics at Georgetown University. Fleisher’s research concerns the ethical, political, and epistemic implications of contemporary AI systems. His work has been published in AAAI/ACM conference proceedings and philosophy journals, including Noûs, Philosophical Studies, and Philosophy of Science. Will was a previously a postdoctoral fellow in the Experiential AI Program at Northeastern University and a McDonnell Postdoctoral Fellow in the Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology Program at Washington University in St. Louis. He received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Rutgers University.

Dewey Murdick

Dewey Murdick

Dewey Murdick is a professor of the practice at Georgetown University, where he pioneers human-artificial intelligence (AI) teaming. Bridging the gap between technical AI and public policy, he previously led Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology as executive director and director of data science, advising global decision-makers. His career spans AI policy, machine learning development, R&D portfolio management, and tech foresight, featuring leadership roles at the Department of Homeland Security, the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Dewey holds a Ph.D. in engineering physics from the University of Virginia.

Gabriela Ramos

Gabriela Ramos

Gabriela Ramos is a global leader in multilateral policy who has held senior roles at UNESCO, the OECD, and the G20. She is currently co-chair of the Taskforce on Inequality and Social-related Financial Disclosures, developing a framework for financial transparency and social impact. She is the architect of UNESCO’s 2021 global standard on the ethical governance of artificial intelligence. Ramos is a strong advocate for inclusive growth and gender equality and has advanced policy reforms in member states. Ramos has earned several distinctions from Forbes and Apolitico and received membership in the Ordre du Merit of France from President Françoise Hollande.

Matthew David Hamilton

Matthew David Hamilton

Matthew David Hamilton (moderator) is the managing director of the Georgetown Initiative on Artificial Intelligence and Democratic Citizenship (AIDC). Matthew works at the intersection of political theory, international relations and theology. His research focuses on issues of global justice, especially rethinking notions of self-government. Matthew holds a Ph.D. in government from Georgetown University and an M.A. in theological studies from Princeton Theological Seminary.