Call for expressions of interest: Community researchers

We are looking for four peer researchers, community leaders or community organisers  to collaborate with us and engage their community in research about AI and ‘public good’.

As part of the Public Voices in AI project, the Ada Lovelace Institute (Ada) wants to understand what people across the UK think about artificial intelligence (AI), the ‘public good’ and where AI technologies fit into the picture.

We are developing a community-level research project that will give people the time, space, and confidence to share their priorities, and expectations for what a ‘good’ society looks like, now and for the future, and explore where AI could support or harm these visions.

This work is being done to make sure that public views are better represented in how technology companies and governments build and govern AI, and to understand more about how to support publics to have meaningful input in AI debates and development.

The research will run for 10-12 weeks, running from October to December 2024. It would involve a paid, part-time commitment, estimated at 14 days across this period, or an average of nine hours per week over 10 weeks.

How to apply

Please complete an expression of interest through this Google Form by 23:59 on  Wednesday 18 September.

Ideally we will recruit two pairs of people who live, work, or volunteer in the same place-based community.

We will contact you in the week of 23 September and may arrange an informal conversation by phone or online to discuss working together.

If you have any questions about the application process, please email Ellie O’Keeffe: eokeeffe@adalovelaceinstitute.org

FAQs

What communities are you looking to involve?

By ‘community’, we mean a group of people who live in or occupy the same places or spaces.

We are open to engaging with researchers or community leaders from any community in the UK, including Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but would particularly appreciate hearing from people who live or work in:

• Areas that have a mix of different people (ages, ethnicities, income levels).
• Areas that have experienced or are experiencing social challenges, such as high unemployment or social division.
• Areas that are usually left out of research, such as coastal towns, or towns/cities in post-industrial regions.

I haven’t done peer research before – can I apply?

We are interested in hearing from people who have experience working or volunteering with communities. This includes researchers, but also community leaders (people who run or manage local institutions, associations or events) and community organisers (people who support and enable community action).

How long will this project last and is it a full-time commitment?

The research project would run from October to December 2024. It is not a full-time commitment. We expect that peer researchers would work a total of 14 days, but the hours are flexible and we can work to your routine or other commitments.

There will a few fixed dates, such as the three workshops, which will be chosen according to your availability, but the role is otherwise very flexible.

Is this role paid?

Each peer researcher will be paid £2,100 for the programme of work. This has been calculated at £150 per day for 14 days (about 2 weeks across the 10-week period). This is an average of nine hours per week.

There may be additional paid opportunities, such as speaking events, after January 2025.

Are expenses included in this payment?

There is an additional expenses budget available for costs of travel or childcare, as well as other research expenses.

The Ada Lovelace Institute is based in London – would I have to travel to London?

No –work with the Ada team will be through online meetings or telephone calls; we’d also use online tools such as Google Docs.

You’d be researching in your community for most of the time and helping to recruit workshop participants. During workshop period, Ada’s research team would come to you to help deliver the research events for community participants.

What does the role involve?

You will work with Ada’s research team on some aspects of the project, but there are areas where you would take the lead, such as research conversations with members of your community. This role involves:

• Research co-design activities with Ada’s research team(online).

• Training (if needed) in facilitation or contributing to training events for Ada’s research team.

• Recruiting 10 participants for the research programme from community networks.

• Delivery of 3 workshops and leading facilitation (alongside Ada’s research team and subject expert facilitators).

• Co-analysis sessions (with Ada’s research team).

• Writing outputs, such as blogs, or co-authoring aspects of the report (optional).

Will I need to know anything about atificial intelligence (AI)?

No – Ada’s research team will provide the subject expertise that we need for this project. Working with you, we’d bring subject and community expertise together to help people from your community have a meaningful conversation about ‘public good’ and AI.

Not many people know about AI – will people from my community be able to understand the issues that this research raises?

Yes. This research begins with understanding people’s different priorities, values, and hopes for the future in relation to the ‘public good’, regardless of AI.

Ada’s research team and its subject expert facilitators will support you to connect the question of AI to people’s different visions or expectations. Participants from your community may end up learning more about AI, but that is not a requirement.

What benefits or opportunities will this role give me?

Peer or community researchers often report that they benefit from the experience of research. This role may give you greater or different work experience; it could be an opportunity to build or broaden your skills and knowledge. You may find that contributing to research that helps your community and others to have their voice heard on a topic that affects us all (AI) is rewarding.