A 2026 Public Problem-Solving Campaign on
AI and the Future of Our Communities
Many Utahns are looking for ways to engage productively with each other, both on and offline, for the purpose of successfully addressing public needs and solving problems. In response, the Utah Common Ground initiative is organizing a multi-stage civic dialogue to discuss questions that are on many minds these days: How can Utahns ensure that the benefits of AI are widely shared and the risks are responsibly managed?
Utah Common Ground will help citizens identify issues of local concern, consider possible solutions, and take the necessary steps to achieve meaningful, measurable change.
What's Happened So Far
Open Poll
From March through July 2026, more than 500 Utahns shared their perspectives about AI in an online poll, identifying areas of interest and consensus across the public.
Community Conversations
We organized nine conversations in Utah, Salt Lake and Cache Counties, both in person and online. We invited community members to think about how people are using AI, share their stories, and identify the issues they feel are the most concerning and the most promising.
cache county forum
Thirty Cache County residents from a range of ages, occupations, and political perspectives gathered for a three-hour discussion about what they thought meaningful public consultation on AI-related questions should entail.
what's next
utah solutions forum
September 18-19, 2026
Forty delegates selected to reflect the demographics of Utah, Salt Lake, and Cache Counties will convene for two days to listen, talk, and learn, and then develop policy recommendations to help ensure the public has ample opportunity to play a positive role in AI policy decisions affecting the state going forward.
stay involved
If you’d like to join our mailing list to receive project updates, please enter your contact information below. Utah Common Ground does not sell or share your information.