This pilot in Bamberg, Germany, focuses on testing and evaluating the integration of AI tools within two distinct citizen participation models: top-down and bottom-up approaches. These models aim to enhance municipal dialogue, citizen engagement, and community-driven actions.
Case 1: Top-Down Citizen Participation (Bamberg.gestalten.de)
The Bamberg.gestalten.de platform currently operates under a top-down approach to digital citizen participation. On this Consul-based platform, the municipality introduces topics to gather input from residents. To ensure participation authenticity, user data is cross-checked with the resident registration directory, preventing bots or fake accounts.
Examples of issues addressed on the platform include:
Redesigning and repurposing public spaces.
Drafting a municipal data policy.
Within AI4Deliberation, the platform will incorporate and evaluate various AI features, such as:
Fact-checking: Ensuring accuracy and reliability in discussions.
Mitigating misinformation and disinformation: Testing AI’s ability to create an evidence-based foundation for municipal dialogue.
Case 2: Bottom-Up Citizen Participation
A new engagement platform is under development as part of another national project. Unlike the top-down approach, this platform adopts a bottom-up model, enabling citizens to:
Freely present and discuss their concerns within the community and with local administration.
Take proactive measures to address their pain points through enabling functions incorporated into the platform.
Within AI4Deliberation, the following aspects will be tested:
AI’s impact on engagement: Assess whether AI applications can make local engagement platforms more attractive and effective.
Bridging the digital divide: Explore AI’s potential to enhance participation in small-scale networks by making digital platforms more accessible and functional.
Since this platform is still under development, a collaborative approach between the two projects is anticipated, with AI4Deliberation results feeding directly into the platform’s evolution.
This pilot in Bamberg, Germany, focuses on testing and evaluating the integration of AI tools within two distinct citizen participation models: top-down and bottom-up approaches. These models aim to enhance municipal dialogue, citizen engagement, and community-driven actions.
Case 1: Top-Down Citizen Participation (Bamberg.gestalten.de)
The Bamberg.gestalten.de platform currently operates under a top-down approach to digital citizen participation. On this Consul-based platform, the municipality introduces topics to gather input from residents. To ensure participation authenticity, user data is cross-checked with the resident registration directory, preventing bots or fake accounts.
Examples of issues addressed on the platform include:
Redesigning and repurposing public spaces.
Drafting a municipal data policy.
Within AI4Deliberation, the platform will incorporate and evaluate various AI features, such as:
Fact-checking: Ensuring accuracy and reliability in discussions.
Mitigating misinformation and disinformation: Testing AI’s ability to create an evidence-based foundation for municipal dialogue.
Case 2: Bottom-Up Citizen Participation
A new engagement platform is under development as part of another national project. Unlike the top-down approach, this platform adopts a bottom-up model, enabling citizens to:
Freely present and discuss their concerns within the community and with local administration.
Take proactive measures to address their pain points through enabling functions incorporated into the platform.
Within AI4Deliberation, the following aspects will be tested:
AI’s impact on engagement: Assess whether AI applications can make local engagement platforms more attractive and effective.
Bridging the digital divide: Explore AI’s potential to enhance participation in small-scale networks by making digital platforms more accessible and functional.
Since this platform is still under development, a collaborative approach between the two projects is anticipated, with AI4Deliberation results feeding directly into the platform’s evolution.