Digital civics in action: the promise and emerging practices of generative AI in grassroots community advocacy

Abstract In an era marked by intensifying civic challenges and rapid digital transformation, grassroots advocacy groups face increasing pressure to adapt and innovate. Digital civics, a field exploring how digital tools can support civic participation, offers one pathway forward. This study investigates how generative AI (GenAI) tools, such as large language models and image generators, can support grassroots community groups in advancing three key goals: (i) improving scrutiny; (ii) boosting outreach, and; (iii) enhancing advocacy. While GenAI presents new opportunities for fostering digital civics, it also raises critical questions about risks, ethics, confidentiality, and trust in technology-enabled civic processes. This study employs a qualitative, participatory, design-led methodology, involving semi-structured interviews and a co-design workshop. The study was conducted in collaboration with Brisbane Residents United, the representative peak body for community and local citizen action groups in Brisbane, Australia, at a time when civic and urban planning issues are gaining renewed urgency ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games. Our findings reveal emerging GenAI use cases for grassroots advocacy, such as simplifying complex planning documents, creating persuasive campaign materials, and streamlining the drafting of petitions and submissions. At the same time, the study identifies key concerns, including misinformation, privacy, and intellectual property, which must be addressed to ensure ethical and strategic deployment of AI tools in grassroots contexts. This paper contributes timely and practical insights into how digital civics in action—when co-designed with communities—can help bridge the gap between emerging technologies and grassroots democratic innovation.