New Haven Group Builds Civic AI Software

Digital tinkerers gather weekly to create community tools using new artificial intelligence coding systems.

Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence

Isometric editorial illustration of a geometric community civic hall model intersected by digital-lattice cubes, representing AI-driven software development. — A volunteer group in New Haven is using generative artificial intelligence to develop new civic software tools for community-specific local challenges. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you believe AI tools will make it easier for people to improve their own communities?

A collective of approximately 30 digital tinkerers is meeting weekly in New Haven to develop AI-based software for civic improvement. The group utilizes tools from companies like Anthropic and OpenAI to build applications without traditional coding teams.

Why it matters

Recent advancements in artificial intelligence are lowering the barrier for non-coders and small teams to create functional technology. This shift allows individuals to address local challenges through custom software that was previously inaccessible to smaller organizations.

Members of the Homegrown Tech Group utilize AI-driven coding platforms from OpenAI and Anthropic to build their software. This allows 30 participants to develop complex applications without the need for large professional engineering staffs.

The players

Ben Berkowitz

He is a notable entrepreneur known for developing the civic engagement platform SeeClickFix.

Dan McLeggon

He is a local developer currently creating a tool called House Atlas to illustrate the history of homes.

Joanne Sciulli

She is a developer working on an AI-based tool to support housing and financial aid access for the Hartford NAACP.

Climate Haven

This local organization provides the physical pop-up meeting space for the software group.

The details

Meeting at 770 Chapel Street in a space provided by Climate Haven, participants are building tools like House Atlas, which creates illustrated home histories, and financial aid systems for the Hartford NAACP. The collaboration mirrors a software innovation boom seen 20 years ago, focusing on community-specific solutions.

The group is holding weekly meetings throughout October 2026.
A previous software innovation boom occurred 20 years ago.

The Tech Race

This initiative signals a decentralization of software development that challenges the traditional reliance on large, centralized engineering firms. It marks a clear departure from the model established by the SeeClickFix civic engagement platform by democratizing tool creation.

Local residents can expect to see new, community-focused digital tools that aim to simplify tasks like researching home histories or accessing financial aid. These applications may soon offer simplified interfaces for residents who lack advanced technical expertise.

The takeaway

Small teams and non-coders now have the capability to build sophisticated civic tools using accessible artificial intelligence platforms. Interested individuals can foster similar innovation by identifying local bottlenecks that software can resolve.