• How can communities engage in meaningful dialogue about data and artificial intelligence?
• How can we support informed debate on AI topics that feel fast-moving, complex and confusing?
• How can deliberation on AI deliver real impact and change for affected communities?

These are some of the questions guiding the design of this pathfinder resource**.**

A companion resource

We are developing this resource to be used alongside existing guidance on organising and running public deliberation. In this resource, we will address some of the particular challenges that may come up when engaging in public deliberation related to artificial intelligence.

Some of the challenges we aim to address include:

• Addressing power dynamics: understanding where power to affect change is, and how deliberative processes can have influence.
• Challenging narrative framing: cutting through science-fiction and ‘magical’ narratives, to focus on the reality of artificial intelligence in everyday life.
• Engaging affected communities: ensuring that voices and insights from those who artificial intelligence impacts are heard.
• Delivering robust learning: providing participants with access to balanced expert input and accessible materials and activities that support empowered dialogue.

About you

<aside> 👤 If you are focussed on AI development or adoption then this pathfinder aims to offer you a set of considerations to help you commission or run a public deliberation process to inform your work.

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<aside> 👤 If you are a facilitator working on public deliberation then this pathfinder aims to offer you a set of pointers to the particular issues that arise when working on artificial intelligence, data and technology deliberations.

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You can read more about the personas we are considering during the development of this resource here.

Participation, Deliberation and AI

Much has been written about participation, datification and artificial intelligence (Birhane et. al, 2022; Wong et. al, 2022; Delgado et. al, 2023; Groves et. al. 2023). As the potential power of artificial intelligence has been recognised, there have been widespread calls for a ‘democratisation’ of AI (CITE). These calls have been interpreted in very different ways from increasing the diversity of inputs used to train systems, through to asserting popular public control over the governance of AI, and strengthening public deliberation around AI (Himmelreich, 2022; CITE).

In this pathfinder we are focussed on forms of public participation that give publics a greater say in decisions about the purpose, use and governance of AI systems: from shaping particular tools or deployments of AI, to affecting local, national or international AI regulation.

Furthermore, we are focussed on deliberative forms of participation. Deliberative approaches provide structured inputs, time and support for participants to develop and express informed views.

Key terms

<aside> 📖 Artificial Intelligence (AI). DO WE NEED TO PROVIDE A DEFINITION? LINK TO PRIMER?

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<aside> 📖 Participation. TODO. LINK TO PRIMER (From elsewhere)

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<aside> 📖 Deliberation. TODO. LINK TO PRIMER (From elsewhere)

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