Participatory Design
An inclusive development approach that actively involves end-users, affected communities and diverse stakeholders throughout the design and evaluation of AI systems to ensure equitable and responsive outcomes.
In plain language
Involving the actual people who will be affected by an AI system in its design. If you are building an AI for healthcare, you include doctors, nurses, patients and administrative staff in making design decisions, not just engineers.
Why this matters
Participatory design reduces the risk of building AI systems that harm or fail certain groups. It also strengthens governance by embedding accountability and trust early. For Australian organisations, participatory design demonstrates due diligence on fairness and social responsibility, especially in public-facing or regulated applications.
Relevance
ImplementationInvolves affected stakeholders in design to reduce fairness risks and build systems that actually meet user needs, supporting responsible deployment.
Related terms
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