15Civic processBelow the top 20
Astroturf floods on rulemaking dockets
CapabilityDomain knowledgeImpact domainBoth
Statement (NASA form)
Given that notice-and-comment systems count submissions, not unique minds, there is a possibility of a docket dominated by generated, slightly varied letters resulting in a rule justified by a public that never wrote in.
Likelihood
4Likely
Consequence
3Major
Urgency
3Priority
Agencies already cannot tell. The models will not make that easier.
Composite 15 = 4×3 + 3
Applicable mitigations
Controls · Synthetic-media quiet period before ballots · Provenance credentials on political audio and video · Mandatory, durable disclosure on authorised clones · Pace rules: no irreversible action faster than a human can reconstruct it · A real off-ramp that still functions · Contract-first delegation with privilege attenuation · Duty of care on high-stakes delegates