Participatory AI Research & Practice Symposium

The Tech & Global Affairs Innovation Hub is proud to announce Participatory AI Research & Practice Symposium (PAIRS) an open symposium, organized with Connected by Data ahead of the Paris AI Action Summit, bringing together academics and experts from civil society organizations dedicated to explore collaboratively the state of the art in participatory development and governance of AI.

This open and independent day-long event will take place on February 8th, right before the start of the Paris AI Action Summit will focus on the conditions of public trust in AI systems, and more specifically on the feedback loops, whether they are already exist or need to emerge, between developers, regulators, civil society organizations and the broader public. 

Why do we need PAIRS?

In order to maximize and fairly distribute the benefits of AI technologies, but also to monitor, report, and mitigate risks and harms, AI development and governance require more diversified and systematic participatory approaches. The symposium's ambition is to document and further support this “participatory turn” based on the empowerment of citizens, users and non-users, especially from marginalized and underrepresented communities, and their involvement at different stage of the life cycle of AI technologies, from development to governance, as a way to mitigate bias, inequality, and ethical blind spots.

In a collaborative effort to place civil society at the center of the AI Action Summit, the symposium will bring together international researchers, policymakers, activists, and community organizers in a pluralistic conversation to a foster a common theoretical framework and shed light on concrete case studies proving the value of participation and inclusion in AI development governance. Presenters and participants will engage in a conversation to methodically survey the shortcomings -and sometimes failures- of current top-down, expert-driven approaches while drawing lessons from participatory processes that are successfully challenging power, restoring agency, enhancing representation, and holding stakeholders accountable.

Join an open discussion with global experts on AI and participation!

The symposium will be organized around plenary sessions and workshops distributed in three core tracks:

• Participatory AI Development: Examining methods and cases of inclusive AI system design and deployment
• Participatory AI Governance: Exploring frameworks and practices for democratic oversight of AI
• Participation, Power and Resistance: Analyzing the dynamics and challenges of multi-stakeholder engagement

Engage in plenary sessions with trailblazing researchers and activists

Participatory AI Development

• Tina M. Park, Ph.D. (Partnership on AI)
• Naftali Ndeapo Indongo (Namibia University of Science and Technology, UNESCO Chair for Indigenous Knowledge Research Cluster)
• Jeremy Boy (UNDP)

Participatory AI Governance

• Bobina Zulfa (Pollicy)
• Suzy Madigan, Responsible AI Lead (CARE International)
• Andreas Katsanevas, Ali Cirone, Alice Siu, and Jess Heal (Meta)
• Eloïse Gabadou

Participation, Power and Resistance Panel

• Sonam Jindal (Partnership on AI)
• Blair Attard-Frost (University of Toronto) & Ana Brandusescu (McGill University)
• Clarie Alspektor & David Mas (Make.org)

Concluding panel

• Jess Reia & Pedro Augusto Pereira Francisco (University of Virginia)
• Soizic Pénicaud (Independent)
• Estelle Hary (RMIT University)
• Susan Aaronson (George Washington University)

And take part in dozens of participative workshops!

Attendants will also be able to browse through posters presenting complementary research projects and use cases.