DECIDE

Nowadays, people are increasingly confronted with decisions that are made with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), for example in healthcare and public services. For many it remains unclear how these decisions are actually made, which steps are taken beforehand, and which systems are involved in the process. As a result, AI often feels like some sort of black box: complicated, opaque, and difficult to understand.

With DECIDE, we want to change that. In this project, researchers from different disciplines, such as computer science, philosophy, ethics, psychology, law, and public and business administration, work together with citizens to develop transparent and human-centred AI systems. Together, we explore how AI can help people gain more control over decisions that affect their daily lives. In this way, we aim to contribute to a digital society that is democratic, fair, and trustworthy.

Within this project, Waag Futurelab contributes its expertise in citizen science, participatory design, and transdisciplinary research. We also help facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration between the different researchers involved in the project. Through co-creation sessions, we work with methods that place public values at the centre of the design process, also known as value sensitive design. This helps us build a shared understanding of the values that shape both the research and the development of these systems.

In addition, we investigate how alternative social media platforms can empower the position of the citizens involved in the project. These platforms can connect different communities and create spaces where research outcomes, feedback, and open discussions can be shared more easily.

By critically exploring and developing emerging technologies together with citizens, and by grounding this work in public values, DECIDE contributes to a more open, fair, and inclusive digital society. In doing so, the project closely aligns with Waag Futurelab’s mission to collaboratively shape a sustainable and just society.