This paper suggests to take seriously the idea, proposed by Le Cun, that AI could be seen at “a new phase of the Enlightenment”. It proposes the idea that an education for democracy with AI is possible under two conditions which are a basic feature of an ethics by design of AI and the two faces of the same coin: the expansion and enrichment rather than restriction and impoverishment of humanity at an individual, generational and cultural level. First, AI should neither be designed, nor developed or used for deskilling humanity but rather designed, developed and used for the preservation and extension of human capacities. Second, AI should not promote any form of technological colonialismbut rather aim at preserving and extending cultural and intellectual diversity. If we fulfill these two important criteria, we can thus think about AI not in terms of alarming risks but rather in terms of a constructive future promoting themotto of the Enlightment: “dare to think” and thus enabling an education for democracy.

The paper argues that recent advances in AI have challenged us to reevaluate how we define our relationship with these new intelligent systems and with this our understanding of what constitutes a sensory being. It identifies the need for a new multidisciplinary research agenda within which this reevaluation can be carried forward, while discussing some of the essential components of the research, including the concepts of sensory-centric and the details of communication that should create an experience for humans that is at heart educational. The paper highlights the implications of this conceptualisation in equipping citizens to become fully informed in order to render democracy effective together with corresponding approaches to AI regulation.

The article places the present AI turn in the perspective of the ethical discussion of technology in the twentieth century. The transformation of society by AI technologies is considered in light of the humanistic ideals of the education of the self in democratic contexts that teach the experimentation of ideas and ways of life, and the maturation of an interest in and concern for others. AI offers extraordinary opportunities to promote the growth of research and intervention for the good of humanity. However, its current proliferation in all spheres, and especially in everyday life, shows its tendency to promote conformity and passivity, which is inimical to humanistic and democratic ideals.

This article is essentially devoted to the question of knowing under what conditions an AI could be considered capable of becoming themember of a democracy. After recalling the necessary distinction to be made between weak AI and strong AI, I briefly examine the case of weak AI, the majority ofmy reflection being focused on the speculative case of strong AI. Three main criteria are considered: the aptitude for reasoned debate; sentience, as conceptualized by Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka in their book Zoopolis. A Political Theory of Animal Rights; and the fact of having one’s own interests, a hypothesis inspired by Isaac Asimov’s robots stories. Would the fact that an AI presents these three dispositions be enough to make it capable of becoming themember of a democracy? Whatever the answer, the analysis carried out makes it possible to highlight how the speculative issue raised questions certain implicit foundations of the democratic experience and how this type of issue generally constitutes an educational tool for democracy.

In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and complex global challenges, responsible foresight has emerged as an essential framework for policymakers aiming to navigate future uncertainties and shape the future. Responsible foresight entails the ethical anticipation of emerging opportunities and risks, with a focus on fostering proactive, sustainable, and accountable future design. This paper coins the term "responsible computational foresight", examining the role of human-centric artificial intelligence and computationalmodeling in advancing responsible foresight, establishing a set of foundational principles for this new field and presenting a suite of AI-driven foresight tools currently shaping it. AI, particularly in conjunction with simulations and scenario analysis, enhances policymakers’ ability to address uncertainty, evaluate risks, and devise strategies geared toward sustainable, resilient futures. However, responsible foresight extends beyondmere technical forecasting; it demands a nuanced understanding of the interdependencies within social, environmental, economic and political systems, alongside a commitment to ethical, long-term decision-making that supports human intelligence. We argue that AI will play a role as a supportive tool in responsible, human-centered foresight, complementing rather than substituting policymaker judgment to enable the proactive shaping of resilient and ethically sound futures. This paper advocates for the thoughtful integration of AI into foresight practices to empower policymakers and communities as they confront the grand challenges of the 21st century.