Participatory AI SIG is designed to be highly interactive and collaborative, moving beyond traditional presentations to foster meaningful community building and concrete outcomes for Participatory AI research.
Duration: 75 minutes
Format: Interactive discussions with collaborative activities and community building.
Rather than proposing ready-made solutions, this SIG focuses on collectively mapping the problem space for Participatory AI. We'll work together to identify critical research gaps, assess community needs, and establish foundations for sustained collaboration.
Community Mapping: We'll start by understanding the current landscape of participatory AI initiatives, sharing experiences from diverse contexts and identifying what's working (and what isn't) in existing approaches.
Challenge Identification: Through facilitated discussions, we'll dive deep into key challenge areas such as participation methods, power dynamics, impact measurement, and scaling approaches.
Needs Assessment: Together, we'll identify what resources, tools, and infrastructure our community needs to advance Participatory AI research and practice.
Action Planning: The session will conclude with concrete next steps, including opportunities for ongoing collaboration and community building.
Throughout our activities, we will explore critical questions including:
How can we adapt existing participatory design methods for AI contexts?
What are the unique challenges and opportunities in citizen participation for AI?
How do we ensure meaningful rather than tokenistic participation?
What evidence and resources does our community need to build?
How can we create sustainable infrastructure for this emerging field?
Participants will contribute to creating:
Research landscape analysis identifying key gaps and opportunities
Community resource roadmap outlining tools and infrastructure needs
Collaborative action plan for sustained engagement beyond the conference
Researchers exploring participatory design, AI ethics, or human-AI interaction
Practitioners working on citizen engagement in AI contexts
Advocates and policymakers interested in democratic AI governance
Students and early-career researchers looking to contribute to this emerging field