Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering Associate Professors Colin Gray and Austin Toombs continue to help students find new ways to design, develop, and reconceptualize Artificial Intelligence technologies to benefit communities.
As principal investigators for the National Science Foundation-funded, IRES: Digital Civics Exchange (DCX) for Citizen-Centered Artificial Intelligence program, Gray and Toombs will lead 30 undergraduate and graduate students (10 students each summer starting in 2025) through a six-week immersive experience in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, involving cutting-edge AI research through the Citizen-Centered Artificial Intelligence Summer Research Program. It’s part of a three-year, $449,913 grant that runs through at least September of 2027. Interested undergraduate and graduate students can apply and find out more at the program website.
Gray, also Human Computer Interaction Design (HCI/d) program director, and Toombs said AI development often prioritizes business and government applications over the needs of citizens. They said combining Community Informatics and Digital Civics approaches with Citizen-Centered AI will ensure technological advancements are aligned with community needs and stakeholder perspectives.
Students will collaborate with experts in Citizen-Centered AI at Northumbria University who have diverse backgrounds in human-computer interaction, computer science, design and psychology. Through hands-on projects with these collaborators, students will explore ways AI can be used to support public engagement, healthcare, security and collaborative design processes.
Gray and Toombs said their project supports the NSF’s mission by advancing science, promoting national welfare, and fostering diverse educational opportunities, especially for underrepresented groups in computing.
The program will integrate public participation in AI design and critically assess AI's societal impacts, centering on four key areas:
Communities, Democracy, and Society – Students will design AI systems that promote civic engagement, enabling communities to engage more effectively in local governance and public service delivery.
Health and Wellbeing -- Research will focus on developing AI tools for transparent healthcare decision-making, ethical mental health applications, and systems that balance automation with human oversight in medical contexts.
Identity, Privacy, Security, and Mis(dis)information -- Projects will address critical issues in AI such as privacy, misinformation, and the development of AI systems that respect diverse identities and mitigate biases.
AI, Design, and Co-Creation -- Students will explore AI as a partner in collaborative design, envisioning new ways communities might interact with and shape policy through AI-driven design processes.
Beyond the research itself, the CCAI program emphasizes professional development and intercultural exchange. Students will participate in workshops, networking events, and the annual Digital Civics Exchange (DCX) conference, where they will connect with students and researchers from Germany, Portugal, and the U.K. Through these experiences, participants will gain practical skills in human-centered AI research and establish a foundation for careers in computing, human-computing interaction and design.
The goal is to produce publications, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and create pathways into STEM careers, ultimately promoting responsible AI development that benefits society.
The NSF is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in U.S. states and territories.