Lost in Translation: Policymakers are not really listening to Citizen Concerns about AI

TL;DR

This paper analyzes how governments in Australia, Colombia, and the US invite citizen input on AI, revealing that most voices are unheard and feedback is not effectively integrated into policy, hindering trust-building.

Contribution

It provides a comparative landscape analysis of public engagement practices in AI policymaking across three countries, highlighting gaps and proposing actionable recommendations.

Findings

Low citizen participation, less than 1% in each country

Limited responsiveness of policymakers to public input

Lack of meaningful dialogue between citizens and policymakers

Abstract

The worlds people have strong opinions about artificial intelligence (AI), and they want policymakers to listen. Governments are inviting public comment on AI, but as they translate input into policy, much of what citizens say is lost. Policymakers are missing a critical opportunity to build trust in AI and its governance. This paper compares three countries, Australia, Colombia, and the United States, that invited citizens to comment on AI risks and policies. Using a landscape analysis, the authors examined how each government solicited feedback and whether that input shaped governance. Yet in none of the three cases did citizens and policymakers establish a meaningful dialogue. Governments did little to attract diverse voices or publicize calls for comment, leaving most citizens unaware or unprepared to respond. In each nation, fewer than one percent of the population participated. Moreover, officials showed limited responsiveness to the feedback they received, failing to create an effective feedback loop. The study finds a persistent gap between the promise and practice of participatory AI governance. The authors conclude that current approaches are unlikely to build trust or legitimacy in AI because policymakers are not adequately listening or responding to public concerns. They offer eight recommendations: promote AI literacy; monitor public feedback; broaden outreach; hold regular online forums; use innovative engagement methods; include underrepresented groups; respond publicly to input; and make participation easier.