We will be sharing outputs from our design lab on options for a global citizens assembly on AI at TechSalon New York, ahead of the Civil Society Days of the UN Summit of the Future.
Connected by Data at TechSalon New York - Options for a Global Citizens Assembly on AI
Artificial intelligence has rapidly become one of the central global governance issues of our time. It presents significant opportunities, but also great challenges. Cutting-edge AI development is concentrated in a small number of countries, but its impacts are global.
When AI is deployed with effects as diverse as reworking supply chains and labor markets, changing agricultural practices, and reshaping media landscapes, then even those who do not directly use AI systems are affected by them. It follows then, that AI should be governed “by and for all”.
How can global voices, concerns and ideas be brought meaningfully into a complex, contested and often technical landscape of AI governance?
Global citizen deliberation offers one important answer.
In recent decades, a wave of democratic innovation has seen citizen assemblies and distributed dialogues deployed in local, national and transnational contexts to address complex topics, from climate change and genomics, to social policy.
In a citizens assembly, a representative group of delegates are selected, offered balanced expert testimony, and given facilitated space to deliberate together on substantive questions. Complementary approaches take deliberation to the local level: fostering community level deliberations to shape public debate and practical decisions.
Join us for a closed door conversation about the potential of, and practical steps towards, inclusive global citizen deliberation on AI. Guiding the discussion will be contributions from:
- Tim Davies, Director of Research and Practice at Connected by Data,
- Helene Landemore, Professor of Political Science, Yale University & Fellow of Ethics in AI Institute, University of Oxford,
- Aish Machani & Richard Wilson, ISWE Foundation / Coalition for a Global Citizens Assembly
- Kiito Shilongo, Tech Policy Researcher
- Lina Srivastava, Founder, Center for Transformational Change
We aim to come away from the Salon with ideas and actions that explore:
- Why do we need global citizen deliberation to guide the future of AI?
- How can we learn from existing practice on AI and related topics such as climate governance?
- Which questions that could be put to global publics?
- Who should set the agenda and participate in an assembly?
- What forms can an assembly take?
- Where are opportunities to advance practice designs?
This is an in person event only, organised in patnership with TechSalon New York, and hosted by Thoughtworks at 99 Madison Ave 15th floor, New York, NY 10016. We will have coffee and snacks for a morning rush, but in-person seating is limited. Once we reach our 30-person capacity there will be a waiting list!
Please RSVP to secure your place.