A Central Oregon nonprofit is asking Jefferson County residents and Warm Springs tribal members to weigh in on artificial intelligence before decisions about the technology are made without community input.

The Central Oregon Civic Action Project (COCAP) launched the 2026 Community Solutions Assembly on AI this spring, a multi-phase public engagement process designed to bring a representative cross-section of everyday residents into conversations about how AI is affecting — and should affect — life in the region.

Two Ways to Participate Now

Two phases of the process are currently open:

  • Phase 1 — Online Poll (open through mid-June): An anonymous poll at oregon.bloomproject.us/landing that takes about five minutes. Unlike a standard survey, participants can submit their own ideas and vote on responses from other community members. “This is a different kind of poll,” said Josh Burgess, COCAP’s founder and executive director. “People contribute their own perspectives and respond to each other’s ideas. That’s how you get a real picture of what a community actually thinks.”
  • Phase 2 — Community Conversations (through June): Small-group discussions held in person and online across the region. No background in AI or civic engagement is required to participate. Sign up at oregon.bloomproject.us/conversations.

What Comes from It

The poll and conversations feed into a larger fall assembly, in which a randomly selected group of Central Oregon residents — chosen to reflect the region’s demographics in age, geography, income, and political views — will deliberate and produce concrete recommendations for local, state, and AI oversight institutions.

“We’re not talking for talk’s sake. The poll and the conversations are the foundation. They help us frame the question the assembly is based on. Everything builds toward real recommendations that go somewhere to shape policies.” — Josh Burgess, COCAP

Proven Model

COCAP ran a similar process in 2024 on youth homelessness in Deschutes County. The resulting recommendations have since prompted active responses from the city, county, and local school districts.

The AI Assembly is being conducted in partnership with Citizens4Community, Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council, Central Oregon Community College, Mosaic Health, and the Bloom Project. Jefferson County residents and Warm Springs tribal members are explicitly included in the target community for this process.