AI in Public Participation: A Three-Stage Model of AI Integration

This chapter explores the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in public participation, spanning from supportive to autonomous roles within the framework of e-participation. It delineates this progression elaborating a three-stage model in which AI acts as an Assistant, Guide, and Governor. Each stage is examined exploring relevant cases from the literature, identifying key functions, their underlying AI technologies, and the human role in this technological interplay. This outlines how AI can enhance citizen engagement and improve government responsiveness, while addressing ethical, cultural, and democratic challenges posed by increased AI integration. Ultimately, a strategic framework that intersects the three-stage model of AI integration with five levels of e-participation is presented, offering an overview of citizen perspectives and citizen-government interactions across these levels, and how AI can operate across to identifying opportunities and challenges, support and transform public governance and inform digital transformation.