Guidelines for citizen participation on AI

Lina Goelzer

Citizen participation is a policy priority in Amsterdam; the municipality has put together detailed guidelines and is implementing a new participation regulation this year. When it comes to working with citizens on innovation projects and the development and adoption of AI, unique challenges and considerations may arise. Alongside the core principles set forth in the municipality's participation guidelines, this collection aims to provide supplementary guidance with a focus on AI.


Why participation on AI?

Within the realm of technology and digitization, the municipality has committed to the more democratic and human-centric use of AI through many of its agendas and agreements, such as the manifesto for the Cities Coalition for Digital Rights, and the Agenda Digital City.
The use of AI in the city should reflect the needs and values of citizens, and the input of citizens makes AI better for our society.


Defining the “space” for participation in an AI project

Participation rule #2: “we have been clear from the start about the scope of participation, the role of citizens, and what we do with their input.”
Defining the space for participation can be difficult when you are dealing with AI, or an innovation project broadly speaking. Participation which takes place in the design phase can look very different from participation at the decision-making phase. This makes clear scoping and communication with citizens especially important.


Making AI approachable for citizen participation

Participation rule #4: “we communicate during the entire project in understandable language, tailored to those involved.”
One of the key challenges in mainstreaming citizen participation in the municipality’s design, adoption , and use of AI is that the topic of AI remains unapproachable for many citizens. As such, they often don’t find themselves in a position to meaningfully participate on this topic.


Inclusive Participation on AI

Participation rule #3: “We make extra efforts to actively involve all stakeholders... participation gives us the opportunity to involve more people with different perspectives, this is how we build an inclusive city.”
Every citizen should have a say in how technology shapes their lives in the city. However, many citizens face barriers to participation, especially when it comes to the topic of new technologies. Furthermore, the municipality should ensure that those most impacted by an application of AI are at the center of the conversation.


Following up – the outcome of participation in an AI project

Participation rule #9:" We explain the choices made during the project honestly and clearly"
The outcome of participation on an AI project is not always tangible or visible. Depending on the project, citizen input can lead to a change in the variables considered in an algorithm, or shape a more overarching policy on the use of AI. Sometimes, a decision will be made that does not align with some citizen input. Clear follow-up and communication with citizens is especially important when it comes to decisions about the use of AI by the municipality.