How We Listen Together: Using AI to Support Group Consensus
Listening at the Speed of Trust
At Regenerate Whidbey, our goal is to listen — really listen — to what our community is saying.
The Listening Project invites everyone on the island to share their dreams and ideas for regeneration.
With so many voices contributing, we want to honor each one while also seeing the patterns that connect us. That’s where AI-assisted consensus comes in.
What Do We Mean by “AI-Assisted Consensus”?
We use artificial intelligence (AI) as a supportive tool — not as a decision-maker.
Think of it as a listening assistant that helps us organize and summarize what many people are saying.
When community members share their responses to questions like “Why Regenerate Whidbey?”, the AI helps us:
- Organize hundreds of responses into clear themes.
- Summarize what’s being said without losing individual meaning.
- Highlight shared values, unique ideas, and patterns of thought that might otherwise be overlooked.
This process saves time, helps ensure accuracy, and makes it possible for everyone to see how their contribution fits into the larger story.
Humans in the Loop
AI doesn’t speak for us — it listens with us.
Every summary is reviewed and refined by people on the Regenerate Whidbey team to ensure it feels true to what was expressed.
We see this as a partnership between human wisdom and digital tools — a new way of listening at scale while keeping heart and context intact.
Why This Matters
ReGeneration is about relationship — and relationships depend on good listening.
By combining human insight with AI-supported summarizing, we can:
- Build shared understanding faster.
- See common ground across diverse perspectives.
- Identify areas for collaboration and next steps.
- Create transparency — so everyone can see how voices are represented.
Our Guiding Principle: Technology in Service to Community
We believe technology should amplify compassion, not replace it.
Our use of AI follows these simple commitments:
- Transparency: You can always see how summaries are created and reviewed.
- Consent: Participation is voluntary, and data is only used to understand community themes.
- Reciprocity: Insights from the summaries are shared back openly with everyone.
Our aim is to make this a model for ethical, community-centered technology — showing how digital tools can help local people shape their own future.
Learn More or Get Involved
- Read the Latest Summary: Link to most recent Listening Project summary
- Contribute Your Voice
- Contact Us
From Voices to Vision