Towards a Citizens Track on AI Governance
How can the voices of affected communities be placed more central to AI governance?
Building on discussions at the Participatory AI Research & Practice Symposium (PAIRS) alongside the India AI Impact Summit, and with a view towards the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, and next AI Summit, both due to be held in Geneva in 2026 and 2027 respectively, we are supporting the development of a coalition to explore practical approaches that can centre citizen voice in global AI governance.
Nominate examples of Participatory AI Voice and Engagement to the Citizens Track’s Case book (Deadline 5th June)
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Resources
People across the world affected by rapid AI developments must be engaged in meaningfully shaping decisions about its future, otherwise efforts towards both AI deployment and AI governance will lack legitimacy and risk public backlash.
A commitment is needed to embed public participation into the architecture of AI governance. This will link bottom-up capacity building and deliberation with top-down global fora: driving more responsive and inclusive governance decisions while mobilising local communities as allies for governance reform and action. The citizens’ track is a mechanism to do this: listening to, connecting with, and embedding spaces for public voice from around the world.
The first UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance will take place in July 2026.
The co-chairs invited written submissions to help shape the dialogue, and held a number of virtual and in-person consultations.
We prepared a PAIRS and Citizens Track submission to the written consultation.
Events
This workshop brought together practitioners, funders, and advocates focused on inclusive and democratic AI governance to co-design practical next steps that can deliver a Citizens’ Track on AI governance linked to both the ongoing UNGDAI and the 2027 Geneva AI Summit.
The roundtable launched the Citizens’ Track on AI, and shared practical approaches for public deliberation as a continuity and implementation mechanism for the Global Dialogue.
How can the voices of affected communities be placed central to AI governance? Across the world, citizens are sharing their views on the future of data, AI and technology through informed public deliberation.
This breakfast roundtable, organised to coincide with meetings of the UN Committee on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) explored how transnational, national and grassroots public engagement can be brought into two-way connection with the evolving global AI Governance architecture.
How can the voices of affected communities be placed more central to AI governance?
Building on discussions at the Participatory AI Research & Practice Symposium (PAIRS) alongside the India AI Impact Summit, and with a view towards the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance, and next AI Summit, both due to be held in Geneva in 2026 and 2027 respectively, we want to explore practical approaches to centre citizen voice in global AI governance fora.
Tim spoke as part of the Informal Stakeholder Consultation on the Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance.
Opinion
As we start to explore how the Citizens’ Track on AI might catalyse and support community dialogues on AI around the world I’ve thinking about the kinds of agendas, activities and resources that we might need to create or curate.
Broadly, I’ve been thinking of this in terms of three modalities: short community conversations, longer and more structured community assemblies, and much more formal citizens’ assemblies.
These each differ in terms of length, recruitment, preparation and facilitation required, and the kinds of outputs they might generate.
Thank you to everyone who has been getting in touch to support the Citizens Track.
We were deeply disappointed not to be able to connect with many of you in person last week due to the troubling cancellation of RightsCon, but I am happy in this update to share news on how you can input to our Case Book to showcase existing public participation on AI, as well as an invite to an online update call next week (Tuesday 12th May, 1pm UTC) where we will be sharing more about plans for activities at the UN Global Dialogue / AI for Good in July.