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September 6, 2025 24 mins

What happens when governments let artificial intelligence draft their words? Who’s really behind the keyboard when AI systems churn out emails, press releases, or chatbot responses on behalf of public agencies?

In this episode, Jamie Nixon sits down with journalist Nate Sanford of Cascade PBS to talk about his reporting on how AI is creeping into government communications, and what that means for authorship, accountability, and transparency. From “transitory” excuses to the risk of bot-written bureaucracy, we dig into how AI is reshaping the fight for public records and public trust.

If you’ve ever wondered whether the next government message you read was written by a human or a machine, this episode is for you.

Links to to Nate's two part piece... Part 1 & Part 2

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Transcript + Source Docs:
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About WashCOG:
The Washington Coalition for Open Government (WashCOG) fights for transparency and accountability in Washington State. Learn more:
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Tip of the hat to the musicians who created the music used on the show: Alex Grohl, Ian Post, Jakub Pietras, lumine wave, Roberto Pravo, Solis, ...

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