June 10, 2025
Inviting diverse community perspectives into research and development processes could enable the delivery of tech-enabled services that are inclusive, responsive, and aligned with the needs of the communities that they are intended to serve.
Through quantitative data, and the voices of local people, discover the positive impact of a democratic approach to AI in expanding access to AI education and improving the use, effectiveness and inclusivity of new initiatives within the communities they serve.
The Manchester People’s Panel for AI (PPfAI), a collaborative project led by Manchester’s Digital Strategy team in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University, aims to enable citizens to influence the development of new AI initiatives.
Through educational roadshows, training sessions, and panels with local service leads, the PPfAI provides opportunities for residents to learn about the ethical and technical aspects of AI and shape its use in frontline service delivery.
Hear learnings from the project, including how removing financial and geographic barriers successfully engaged residents from a range of ages and socio-economic backgrounds, including 56% female and 58% from minoritised backgrounds. With training delivered by leading AI experts, the PPfAI was also successful in increasing participants’ understanding of AI, with metrics increasing by 30% across all roadshows.
By facilitating consultation between service leads and residents, the PPfAI supports public services to embed technology in ways that advance digital equity and avoid exacerbating existing inequalities. The project has generated opportunities for Manchester City Council to drive inclusive participation in service development and achieved international recognition as a model for best practice in inclusive AI (Eurocities Digital Forum, Smart Cities World Congress).
You’ll leave with a replicable model for the representation of community voice in AI-enabled service delivery to build a digitally equitable society that benefits the many, not just the few.
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