As a political scientist, I see public‑opinion data as thin—you ask people to rate agreement on a Likert scale, reducing complex thought to a number. Using focus groups or deliberative groups at scale is promising. Many people are pessimistic about AI’s effects on democracy—deepfakes, the loss of reading—but you seem to believe these tools can improve representation . Can we talk about group/online deliberation? In another interview you mentioned deepfakes— a lot of them coming out of Shenzhen and beyond —and the use of videotaped focus‑group deliberations that bring together people not living solely within their own political spectrum bubbles. Tell me more, especially because Republicans and Democrats at the mass level are increasingly segregated; even in purple places, people don’t interact, breeding dehumanization—even at family gatherings. I’m a big believer in getting people back together— even if digital .