In this episode of Meyerside Chats, Evan Meyer speaks with Cesar Hidalgo, a Chilean Spanish-American scholar known for his contributions to economic complexity, data visualization, and applied artificial intelligence. They discuss the problems with democracy today, such as political polarization and identity-based politics. They also explore the idea of augmented democracy, using AI agents to support politicians and citizens in the voting process. They highlight the need for a more direct and nuanced representation of people's opinions and propose starting with low-stakes contexts to test the effectiveness of augmented democracy.

Meyerside Chats seeks to eliminate the “us and them” narrative and toxic polarization by striving to create virtuous community leadership and authentic conversation.  We showcase the humanity in those who take on the often thankless jobs of public service, civil discourse, differing points of view, and how we can improve our politics and society as a whole.

Recorded July 18,  2023

About Cesar Hidalgo 

César A. Hidalgo is a Chilean-Spanish-American scholar known for his contributions to economic complexity, data visualization, and applied artificial intelligence. Hidalgo leads the Center for Collective Learning at the Artificial and Natural Intelligence Institute (ANITI) of the University of Toulouse and the Corvinus Institute for Advanced Studies at Corvinus University of Budapest. He is also an Honorary Professor at the University of Manchester. Between 2010 and 2019 Hidalgo led MIT’s Collective Learning group. Prior to working at MIT, Hidalgo was a research fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Hidalgo is also a founder of Datawheel, an award winning company specialized in the creation of data distribution and visualization systems. He holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Notre Dame and a Bachelor in Physics from Universidad Católica de Chile. Hidalgo’s contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2018 Lagrange Prize and three Webby Awards. Hidalgo's is also the author of dozens of peer-reviewed papers and of three books: Why Information Grows (Basic Books, 2015), The Atlas of Economic Complexity (MIT Press, 2014), and How Humans Judge Machines (MIT Press, 2021).

About Evan Meyer

Evan is the Founder of

About Evan Meyer

Evan is the Founder of BeautifyEarth.com, a tech platform and marketplace that speed tracks the urban beautification process through art, as well as the original 501(c)3 sister organization and public charity that beautifies schools in the communities that need it most. Beautify has now facilitated thousands of murals around the planet, working with hundreds of communities, community organizations, cities and national brands.

He is also the Founder of RideAmigos.com, a tech platform that optimizes commuter travel and behavior through intelligent programs and analytics for governments, large enterprises, and universities, serving many regions across the US.

As a civic leader in the City of Santa Monica, he is the past Chairman of his neighborhood (Ocean Park), giving residents a voice in the public process, as well as helping the City of Santa Monica with innovative, actionable ways of civic engagement. He gives seminars on building corporate cultures and the importance of community and civic engagement.

He loves the outdoors, is a master of creative projects, is an avid muralist and musician, and finds the world fascinating in every regard.

Welcome to another exciting episode of Meyerside Chats! In today's episode, we have the pleasure of hosting Leslie Crutchfield, an author, educator, and social change expert. Leslie is the Executive Director of Business for Impact at Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, and her latest book, "How Change Happens: Why some movements succeed while others don't," has garnered significant praise and recognition. Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of social change and gain insights from Leslie's extensive experience and research.

More About Leslie Crutchfield

Leslie is an author, educator, social change expert and Executive Director of Business for Impact at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Business for Impact is founded on the belief is that companies can be a powerful force for good in the world, and delivers world-class education, student experience, and cross-sector collaborations for people, planet and profit.

Leslie’s latest book is How Change Happens: Why Some Movements Succeed While Others Don’t, noted in The New York Review of Books as a blueprint for groups inspired to take action on today’s major causes. Leslie also co-authored the bestselling Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits – recognized by The Economist on its Best Books of the Year list – and Do More than Give. She teaches corporate social responsibility in Georgetown’s MBA program and nonprofit leadership on LinkedIn Learning.

Leslie previously was managing director at Ashoka, the global venture fund for social entrepreneurs, and co-founded a national nonprofit social enterprise in her 20s. Leslie has contributed to Fortune, Forbes, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and Stanford Social Innovation Review, and has appeared on programs such as ABC, FOX, NPR and PBS. She has volunteered on SEED Foundation and Kiva’s boards and with Crossroads Africa.

About Evan Meyer

Evan is the Founder of BeautifyEarth.com, a tech platform and marketplace that speed tracks the urban beautification process through art, as well as the original 501(c)3 sister organization and public charity that beautifies schools in the communities that need it most. Beautify has now facilitated thousands of murals around the planet, working with hundreds of communities, community organizations, cities and national brands.

He is also the Founder of RideAmigos.com, a tech

About Evan Meyer

Evan is the Founder of BeautifyEarth.com, a tech platform and marketplace that speed tracks the urban beautification process through art, as well as the original 501(c)3 sister organization and public charity that beautifies schools in the communities that need it most. Beautify has now facilitated thousands of murals around the planet, working with hundreds of communities, community organizations, cities and national brands.

He is also the Founder of RideAmigos.com, a tech platform that optimizes commuter travel and behavior through intelligent programs and analytics for governments, large enterprises, and universities, serving many regions across the US.

As a civic leader in the City of Santa Monica, he is the past Chairman of his neighborhood (Ocean Park), giving residents a voice in the public process, as well as helping the City of Santa Monica with innovative, actionable ways of civic engagement. He gives seminars on building corporate cultures and the importance of community and civic engagement.

He loves the outdoors, is a master of creative projects, is an avid muralist and musician, and finds the world fascinating in every regard.

In this episode of Meyerside Chats, Evan Meyer interviews Rammayya Krishnan, Dean of Public Policy and Information Systems @ Carnegie Melon University, an expert in digital transformation and technology management. They discuss the role of decision-making models in voting, particularly in local and state issues. Krishnan highlights the importance of an informed populace and the challenges of acquiring accurate information in the age of filter bubbles and misinformation. They also touch on the need for humility in the information we consume and how technology can support this. Overall, the conversation emphasizes the significance of having a shared base of information to make informed decisions. Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on Meyerside Chats!

Podcast Highlights:

[00:01:41] Exploring the use of cloud technology in society and policy-making.

[00:02:11] Discussing decision-making models in voting for the public and policymakers.

[00:12:16] The influence of technology on shared experiences and bridging differences.

[00:14:01] Building relationships and bridges between different political opinions.

[00:16:00] The role of being a good listener and demonstrating respect in conversations.

[00:24:47] Contrasting the lack of understanding of social media by policymakers in the past.

[00:25:25] The potential of AI to educate and provide faster access to information for policymakers and the public.

[00:27:00] AI's role in helping understand complex public interest issues.

[00:29:48] Mitigating AI's negative effects through measures like provenance and watermarking.

[00:33:00] The absence of a perfect solution to the information problem.

[00:33:33] Cautions about AI's predictive capabilities and data representation.

[00:35:37] The potential benefits of AI in supporting decision-making and speeding up processes.

[00:37:00] Overcoming bias in data to ensure representation of society as a whole.

[00:39:48] Responsible AI implementation, understanding the system as a whole, and differential impact on individuals.

[00:40:23] Augmentation for democracy and the need for careful consideration of the pipeline.

[00:41:00] Assisting policymakers with AI tools to catch up with policy-making demands.

[00:43:35] Vision for a more prosperous, peaceful, and just society using technology for good.

About Evan Meyer

Evan is the Founder of BeautifyEarth.com, a tech platform and marketplace that speed tracks the urban beautification process through art, as well as the original 501(c)3 sister organization and public charity that beautifies schools in the communities that need it most. Beautify has now facilitated thousands of murals around the planet, working with hundreds of communities, community organizations, cities and national brands.

He is also the Founder of RideAmigos.com, a tech platform that optimizes commuter travel and behavior through intelligent programs and analytics for governments, large enterprises, and universities, serving many regions across the US.

As a civic leader in the City of Santa Monica, he is the past Chairman of his neighborhood (Ocean Park), giving residents a voice in the public process, as well as helping the City of Santa Monica with innovative, actionable ways of civic engagement. He gives seminars on building corporate cultures and the importance of community and civic engagement.

He loves the outdoors, is a master of creative projects, is an avid muralist and musician, and finds the world fascinating in every regard.