A team of researchers is building artificial intelligence tools designed to give citizens a stronger, fairer voice in how their communities and institutions make decisions. This work tackles a growing problem: public trust in democratic institutions is eroding, and existing decision-making processes often exclude marginalised voices or fail to handle disagreement constructively. The researchers have already combined AI, design methods, and social science to analyse political text, speech, and video. Now they will develop software that augments democratic innovations—such as citizens’ assemblies or participatory budgeting—with AI that prioritises transparency and human experience. If successful, the project could produce practical, adaptable tools for collective decision-making in governments, workplaces, and community groups. Randomised controlled trials will test which interventions best restore trust and curb hateful speech. The ultimate aim is a UK-based research hub that strengthens democracy by making public discourse more inclusive and institutions more accountable, without relying on temporary fixes.
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In my fellowship I have conducted groundbreaking research and spearheaded innovative initiatives, leading a team to explore and devise technological enhancements for democratic innovation. Employing a mix of artificial intelligence, design methodologies, and social science, I've amalgamated data, and analysed and compared cases to draw out lessons for democracy. I have designed software using participatory methods to craft technologies and interventions that prioritise human experience and transparency in democratic procedures. This project is driven by the aspiration of empowering citizens, bolstering the safety of communities, and heightening confidence in societal institutions through understanding which interventions build and fortify democratic activities. It involves making space for often marginalised voices, curbing hateful speech, and ensuring diverse community participation in public discourse and in governance. My focus lies in the creation of interdisciplinary data science tools that allow for analysis of political text, speech, and video. The approach involves constructing advanced models that answer pertinent research questions and navigate the ethical and social consequences of deploying algorithms in democratic engagement. The project team is committed to designing and engineering democracy software that transcend temporary successes, with an emphasis on adapting interventions to a variety of governance, workplace, and community settings. We aim to build knowledge about how techniques can be used wherever we need to make collective decisions, and deal peacefully and fairly with disagreement. We will develop AI interventions that augment existing democratic innovations, that are pragmatic and applicable in day-to-day contexts. We aspire to understand how these innovations can be sequenced optimally for transparency, trust, and mutual oversight. This involves carrying out randomised controlled trials and employing other research methods to ascertain when and how to step in to restore trust in institutions, and consequently, enhance the governance of emerging technologies. The fellowship supports me to lead a multidisciplinary research and innovation hub in the UK, one that is fervently devoted to preserving and enriching democracy. This project aims to deliver novel research involving many scientific disciplines contributing to a flourishing economy and society in the UK and beyond.
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