About the project
Our system of governance is facing two major challenges: First, the issues surrounding local democracy, including concerns about transparency in decision-making, declining civic engagement, decreasing trust in democratic processes, and increasing societal polarization. Second, the challenges associated with the development of artificial intelligence (AI), where the sense that technology is outpacing us is becoming ever more apparent. Public actors will face significant pressure to procure various AI solutions in the coming years. Meanwhile, concerns are growing about our ability to steer this development, and the need to improve public understanding of AI (AI literacy) is becoming more urgent by the day.Our project aims to address both of these challenges by demonstrating the potential of AI to strengthen local democracy. We seek to showcase, in a concrete way, what recent AI advancements have made possible—bridging the gap between preparation, decision-making, and local residents.
Project goal
In a digitalized world where organizations handle large amounts of inaccessible and unstructured data, such as text, large language models like OpenAI ChatGPT and Google Gemini have revolutionized how this data can be made searchable and useful. Information can now be made accessible by converting data into structured formats that enable automated information retrieval.Against this backdrop, our project is specifically focused on leveraging advances in AI to make information from meeting minutes easily accessible to target audiences. Through user-friendly interfaces tailored to their needs, we aim to simplify the process of following democratic decision-making. We expect the project to contribute to increased transparency, an improved preparation process, and greater citizen engagement. Additionally, the results will provide a concrete demonstration of AI technology’s potential with an example that is easy for the general public to understand.
To achieve these goals, we plan to start with a needs assessment and an idea workshop where we engage target audiences directly in the development process to ensure the project aligns with their needs. The core of the project will be an AI-based tool for searching meeting minutes, making access to crucial information more efficient. Beyond this, prototype testing with end-users will refine the interface and user experience. Dissemination efforts will include academic publications, a thesis project, and an open seminar to share knowledge about the project’s results and AI’s potential. This will help raise awareness and spread knowledge to a wider audience.
UN's Sustainable Development Goals
Johan Westö
Project Leader