Human-Centered AI for Democracy

This chapter explores the development of human-centered AI (HCAI) systems as a means to support and enhance democratic processes. Building on earlier discussions of data governance, participation, and ethics, it examines how AI technologies can be shaped by democratic values, citizen needs, and participatory design methods. The chapter first outlines the theoretical underpinnings of HCAI and its relevance for democratic governance, drawing on and extending the conceptual foundations proposed by Régis et al. (Human-centered AI: a multidisciplinary perspective for policy-makers, auditors, and users, Chapman and Hall/CRC, Boca Raton, FL, 2024) to build a framework for systematically analyzing AI-enhanced democracy. It emphasizes how co-creation and participatory design approaches enable diverse stakeholders to actively shape the goals, values, and operational logic of AI systems, ensuring that resulting technologies reflect pluralistic and inclusive perspectives. Central to this vision is the concept of ‘democracy-in-the-loop,’ which calls for embedding democratic principles into the design, governance, and deployment of AI. Moving beyond the state of the art, the chapter then examines how this vision is interpreted and operationalized across four Horizon Europe projects—ORBIS, KT4D, AI4Gov, and ITHACA—each addressing specific challenges and research gaps in the application of HCAI within democratic innovation.