How Swae is helping citizens of Ciudad Juárez contribute new policy solutions to mitigate the risks of technological displacement
Mi Trabajo, Mi Futuro, which translates to My Job, My Future in Spanish is our latest initiative and partnership with C Minds (a Mexican think-and-action tank), and the Ministry of Innovation and Economy at the Government of Chihuahua, Mexico. Together we invite 1.5 million citizens of Ciudad Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua to use Swae’s platform to propose, collaborate on and vote for the best policy suggestions to identify the risks to the local economy and manufacturing sectors associated with automation and technological displacement, to suggest mitigations to these the risks in order to boost economic competitiveness, innovation and local talent development opportunities. At the end of the pilot, the State Government has committed to implement one of the best policy ideas that graduates from the platform.
Background
Research suggests that over 52% of jobs in Mexico could be negatively affected by automation technologies in the coming decade. While this figure extends across the country, cities that base the majority of their economic output on the manufacturing sector, in particular Ciudad Juárez, are the most vulnerable to the risks of potential human displacement due to the adoption of exponential technologies. To offset these risks, the transition to an AI-driven economy and society must include as many voices as possible to identify preparatory measures to ensure no one is left behind.
We are partnering with C Minds, the Ministry of Innovation and Economy, and the Institute of Innovation and Competitiveness in Chihuahua, to leverage Swae’s AI-supported bottom-up decision making platform to give the people of Ciudad Juárez an opportunity to identify the most poignant risks and contributelocal policy solutions to help shape the economic and innovation agenda. We believe Swae’s inclusive, mobile-enabled platform and features will help as many people from different backgrounds who are interested in contributing to easily connect, contribute, and co-design policy preferences for a future where automation can benefit all.
The Process
Through an open call, Ciudad Juárez’s 1.5 million “Juarenses” (Ciudad Juárez citizens) are invited to propose, collaborate on and vote for the best policy suggestions to identify the risks to the local economy and manufacturing sectors associated with automation and technological displacement, and to suggest mitigations to these the risks in order to boost economic competitiveness, innovation and local talent development opportunities. At the end of the pilot, the State Government has committed to implement one of the best policy ideas that graduates from the platform.
Through an open call, Ciudad Juárez’s 1.5 million “Juarenses” (Ciudad Juárez citizens) are invited to propose, collaborate on and vote for the best policy suggestions to identify the risks to the local economy and manufacturing sectors associated with automation and technological displacement, and to suggest mitigations to these the risks in order to boost economic competitiveness, innovation and local talent development opportunities. At the end of the pilot, the State Government has committed to implement one of the best policy ideas that graduates from the platform.
This pilot complements existing efforts by the city and state to try to reinvent Ciudad Juárez and transition it to an innovation-based economy. It will bring important results that will allow Chihuahua’s government and local decision-makers to have clearer insights into the community’s preferences and possible solutions with regards to the risks to employment presented by an automation and innovation-friendly economy.
Why Swae?
Swae’s AI-enabled platform will allow citizens to create meaningful proposals with the help of natural language processing algorithms and tools, irrespecive of social and educational background and levels of literacy. Swae’s platform ultimately allows each citizen to voice their concerns and ideas, offering their unique insights equal visibility and a chance to influence change, maximizing inclusivity. When socioeconomic disparities are high, as in most cities around the world (Ciudad Juarez included), it is crucial to ensure as much inclusivity as possible in order to preserve the legitimacy of initiatives.
This pilot will help us better understand the extent to which the combination of platform features, including anonymization, AI proposal augmentation, and collective intelligence, will increase the inclusivity, engagement, and quality of ideas presented. We also plan to study how these features increase access and democratize the government’s existing processes and promote more participation in the decision-making process.
The collaborative aspect of Swae’s platform is particularly valuable in Ciudad Juárez, where locals have reported a lack of a sense of community. Swae and C Minds believe the initiative will be an opportunity to strengthen bonds between “Juarenses” by providing a platform to learn about each others concerns and preferences, and to collaborate efficiently together on a new solutions for a better city and shared future.
The collaborative and digital aspects will allow for people from different backgrounds and contexts, who would likely never interact in the real world, to discuss and build new solutions together, bridging the inequality gap that typically creates divides and roadblocks in conversations.
Swae’s digital platform, together with the offline civic innovation strategy led by C Minds, will create the framework to drive accelerated change.
Looking Forward
If successful, Mi Trabajo, Mi Futuro will have a threefold impact on the lives of Juarenses (Ciudad Juárez citizens):
- Direct Change: The state government will implement the winning solution, which will directly benefit a specific sector or group of the population and enable a brighter future for Juarenses.
- Wider Impact: Impact studies and publications reporting the trends found across citizen proposals will offer visibility into their concerns and priorities. In turn, this will help keep the state accountable to these documented concerns, influencing the state government’s priorities and serve as input for city- and state-wide decision-making from all industries.
- Community and Trust Building Impact: The collaboration aspect of Swae’s platform will contribute to building a stronger sense of community for Juarenses. Combined with the state government’s ongoing initiatives, citizens of Ciudad Juárez will continue to grow their capacity for resilience against the challenges ahead, and establish their city as an innovation-based economy.
For any questions, please reach out to:
Claudia Del Pozo | claudia@cminds.co — Regarding the Project and On-the- Ground Implementation
Soushiant Zanganehpour | soushiant@swae.io — Regarding Swae and the Technology Platform
