Change.org invests $100M to revamp petitions platform with AI
What's the story
Change.org, the popular online petition platform, has announced a major investment of around $100 million. The money will be used to revamp its core petitions platform using artificial intelligence (AI). The move is expected to make Change.org petitions more effective and further empower civic engagement. This comes after a 2021 restructuring where investors like Reid Hoffman and Sam Altman donated their shares to a non-profit structure.
AI integration
AI copilot to assist petition creators
The first phase of this AI integration is the beta launch of an AI copilot for petition creators. This tool assists in drafting petitions, identifying potential endorsers, and providing clearer paths to decision-makers.
The second phase involves using AI to scale human services by aggregating custom data.
For local petitions with at least 100 signatures, Change.org employees directly contact elected officials on behalf of these citizen petitions.
Cautionary measures
Limitations of AI in petitions
Despite the big investment, Change.org's CEO Ben Rattray believes that AI has its limitations.
He has found that petitions relying on AI-generated images and text are less effective than those created by humans. The same applies to videos made by supporters.
The platform also has policies against using AI agents for auto-signing petitions, as it could breach trust with both citizens and decision-makers.