AI-powered narrative building for facilitating public participation and engagement

Abstract

Algorithms, data, and AI (ADA) technologies permeate most societies worldwide because of their proven benefits in different areas of life. Governments are the entities in charge of harnessing the benefits of ADA technologies above and beyond providing government services digitally. ADA technologies have the potential to transform the way governments develop and deliver services to citizens, and the way citizens engage with their governments. Conventional public engagement strategies employed by governments have limited both the quality and diversity of deliberation between the citizen and their governments, and the potential for ADA technologies to be employed to improve the experience for both governments and the citizens they serve. In this article we argue that ADA technologies can improve the quality, scope, and reach of public engagement by governments, particularly when coupled with other strategies to ensure legitimacy and accessibility among a broad range of communities and other stakeholders. In particular, we explore the role “narrative building” (NB) can play in facilitating public engagement through the use of ADA technologies. We describe a theoretical implementation of NB enhanced by adding natural language processing, expert knowledge elicitation, and semantic differential rating scales capabilities to increase gains in scale and reach. The theoretical implementation focuses on the public’s opinion on ADA-related technologies, and it derives implications for ethical governance.

Trust in algorithms. An experimental approach

“…Several authors provide suggestions on how to mitigate the distrust in algorithms through developing a greater understanding of how algorithms work and how to modify them [4,27,48]. In a sense of empowering users, there are various examples of how people take advantage of algorithms when they have the knowledge of how they work, as is the cases of music fans making collective actions to increase the ranks of specific bands through massive streaming or downloads [49].…”

Beyond national boundaries in the study of digital public engagement: Interparliamentary institutions and cooperation in the Austrian and Portuguese national parliaments

“…Providing information and channels of bilateral communication is easier to implement and does not need as many resources as activities that enable the public to participate in the decision‐making process and result in large volumes of data to manage (Serra‐Silva, 2021). Similarly, complex digital tools such as artificial intelligence (AI), which some parliaments are exploring 4 as an auxiliary tool in legislation to improve the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of parliament (Marmolejo‑Ramos et al, 2022), require a set of technical skills and ICT infrastructure not available in many parliaments. There is no single ready‐made solution for parliaments' puzzling relationship with the public, and developing a strategy of (digital) public engagement entails choosing solutions that are suitable for the goals set and the resources available.…”

“…Across Europe, and elsewhere, public engagement has become a core element of strategic planning in modern parliaments (Leston‐Bandeira, 2014). The growing realization that engaging the public in parliamentary affairs is both beneficial and necessary has led parliaments around the world to invest in a range of public engagement activities (Marmolejo‑Ramos et al, 2022). This is expressed in several ways, such as introducing specific services to foster public engagement activities; investing in new staff and financial resources focused on communication and engagement; undertaking activities to raise awareness and understanding of parliamentary business, roles, and significance; and creating or strengthening processes that integrate citizens' voices into the decision‐making process, such as petition systems (Asher et al, 2019; Leston‐Bandeira, 2016).…”

“…The expansion of services and activities (Griffith & Leston‐Bandeira, 2012) supporting deeper public engagement is usually assisted by the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Some traditional forms of public engagement (such as petition systems) have been “digitalized” and new digital engagement techniques, such as “secure video conferencing and legislation tracking apps, have become increasingly attractive to parliaments” (Marmolejo‑Ramos et al, 2022, p. 4). Developing a strategy of (digital) public engagement has become a key priority for parliaments and yet the many associated challenges (and costs) are difficult to overcome (Leston‐Bandeira, 2007).…”