A new book that I co-authored with economist Glen Weyl, Plurality: The Future of Democracy and Collaborative Technologies (Plurality.net), has recently made waves in Tokyo.

One of the book’s key concepts, augmented deliberation, demonstrates how AI can be harnessed to enable broad listening. This idea resonated with Takahiro Anno, an AI engineer, who, after a virtual conversation with me, decided to run for the Governor of Tokyo.

Takahiro Anno received over 150,000 votes, setting a new record for candidates under forty and marking the highest vote count ever for a political newcomer. In Japan’s traditionally conservative political landscape, where young people often feel disconnected from politics, this election was a stunning departure from the norm, sending shockwaves through society.

Anno’s candidacy aimed to prove that even a complete political outsider like himself, with no backing, could present high-quality policy proposals and maintain ongoing communication with voters, all with the help of technology. Throughout his campaign, he made extensive use of AI, coupled with the viral reach of social media, allowing citizens to participate in shaping his policies with virtually no barriers.

Anyone could contribute to Anno’s policy database simply by posting on social media with the hashtag #TOKYOAI. As more people became aware of this method, they started using it to voice their opinions, hoping to influence his campaign.

Anno collected voter feedback through this system and was willing to adjust his policies in real-time based on constructive criticism, thereby improving their quality. Each time a policy was updated on GitHub, his “Virtual YouTuber” (Vtuber) would automatically record a new video to reflect public sentiment.

His campaign slogan was “Building a Tokyo Where No One Is Left Behind Through Technology,” signifying that AI should benefit not just the young but also the elderly. To bridge the digital divide, he used previous-generation technologies: for those unable to access the internet, phone calls were the medium for expressing their views.

Voters could call “AI Anno” to ask questions about his policies. This AI system would categorize inquiries and respond immediately. The technologies involved included speech recognition, synthesis, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), all of which enhanced the accuracy of Q&A responses and content generation.

This is just one example of the innovative AI technologies Anno deployed during his campaign. He promised to integrate these tools into everyday life if elected, applying them to areas like elder care, telemedicine, and education, with all technologies being open source for others to adopt.

An independent Japanese think tank rated Anno’s policies the highest among all candidates. Although Yuriko Koike was ultimately re-elected, she praised Anno’s approach and even expressed interest in bringing him into her team.

Listening to the voices of the people is vital, yet easier said than done—especially when trying to hear from many at once. Fortunately, these once-idealistic concepts are now becoming a reality with the maturation of technology, guiding us toward a broader future.