Artificial Intelligence in the City: Building Civic Engagement and Public Trust

Book
Authors:Brandusescu, Ana, Department of GeographyMcGill University Reia, Jess, School of Data ScienceUniversity of Virginia ORCID icon orcid.org/0000-0002-6023-4584
Abstract:

After navigating various challenging policy and regulatory contexts over the years, in different regions, we joined efforts to create a space that offers possibilities for engagement focused on the expertise, experiences and hopes to shape the future of technology in urban areas. The AI in the City project emerged as an opportunity to connect people, organizations, and resources in the networks we built over the last decade of work on research and advocacy in tech policy. Sharing non-Western and Western perspectives from five continents, the contributors questioned, challenged, and envisioned ways public trust and meaningful civic engagement can flourish and persist as data and AI become increasingly pervasive in our lives. This collection of essays brings together a group of multidisciplinary scholars, activists, and practitioners working on a diverse range of initiatives to map strategies going forward. Divided into five parts, the collection brings into focus: 1) Meaningful engagement and public participation; 2) Addressing inequalities and building trust; 3) Public and private boundaries in tech policy; 4) Legal perspectives and mechanisms for accountability; and 5) New directions for local and urban governance. The focus on civil society and academia was deliberate: a way to listen to and learn with people who have dedicated many years to public interest advocacy, governance and policy that represents the interests of their communities.

Keywords:
Artificial intelligence, AI, AI governance, City, Urban governance, Public interest technology, Digital rights, Human rights, Policy, Regulation, Data ethics, Data governance, Data science, Trust, Civic engagement , Advocacy
Contributors:Abazajian, KatyaAdu-Daako, AbigailAttard-Frost, BlairÁvila, RenataBeroche, HubertBrissette, PascalBednar, VassBrudvig, IngridCañares, MichaelChair, ChenaiCohen, AllisonCruz, LuãDavidson, RobEngle, JayneFumega, SilvanaIyer, NeemaIzdebski, KrzysztofJohnson, PeterKetchum, AlexLara, Juan CarlosLämmerhirt, DannyMarx, ParisMolnar, PetraOrtiz Freuler, Juan Rayón, AlexRobinson, PamelaSambuli, NanjiraScassa, TeresaSengupta, UshnishSieber, RenéeSpieler, Mich (Michèle)Stark, LukeStevens, YuanThakur, DhanarajVerhulst, StefaanWilliams, RebeccaWylie, BiancaYeboah, Kofi
Language:
English
Source Citation:

Brandusescu, A., & Reia, J. (Eds.). (2022). Artificial intelligence in the city: Building civic engagement and public trust. Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Montreal, McGill University.

Publisher:
Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Montreal, McGill University
Published Date:
2022
Sponsoring Agency:
McConnell FoundationAndrew W. Mellon Foundation