How to democratise AI in public services

Themes: AI, automation and fairness in services | Governance and decision-making | Democratising services | Transparency and accountability

As governments deploy AI into public services, algorithmic decisions increasingly shape people’s rights and access to services. But who gets to decide whether and how AI should be used?

This interactive workshop explores practical ways to democratise AI in public services, from appropriateness assessments and participatory co-design to transparent governance and open-source software. 

Drawing from real-world pilot projects in social care and benefits programmes, participants will learn how to embed accountability, front-line staff voices and trustworthiness into AI decision-making. They will leave with a 4-step framework and practical checklists to apply in their own organisations.

AI offers numerous opportunities for improving public service delivery, but democratising AI tools’ governance and design is critical for success and accountability.

Participant takeaways: 

• a practical 4-step framework for assessing whether AI is appropriate for a given public service context
• design principles for building transparency, auditability and human oversight into AI systems
• techniques for involving front-line staff and affected communities in AI governance
• an understanding of how open-source software can improve democratic legitimacy and examinability and reduce proprietary vendor “lock-in”

This session: 

• includes interaction
• is suitable for designers, policymakers, digital leaders and service managers
• does not require specialist AI knowledge