Review of AI Features to Support Mass Deliberations

Abstract

Democracy is based on dialogue/deliberation between equal citizens. Deliberative democracy enables citizens to participate in deliberations/discussion about issues affecting their lives. However, deliberations often face challenges related to low participation, exclusion, low-quality contributions and difficult moderation. AI potentially can address many of these challenges. For example, AI can facilitate deliberations by moderating discussions, processing deliberation data (e.g., summarizing) and enhancing participation. However, the integration of AI into deliberations also raises risks related to fairness and transparency. This paper presents a review of existing research that explores the role of AI in mass deliberations. The aim is to identify AI features that can enhance deliberations, exploring also potential benefits and risks. We anticipate that the findings can contribute to the ongoing debate on the future role of AI in political deliberations.