Participatory AI Lab (PAI-L)
A Hub for Undergraduate AI Innovation
The Participatory AI Lab (PAI-L) is a research hub where undergraduates learn how to incorporate Agentic AI tools into research projects that increase social and civic participation and deepen democratic engagement. We are built on the premise that AI tools present both promise and peril, but they cannot be ignored by the research community. At present, undergraduates with knowledge of AI tools can prototype ambitious public-impact projects in a matter of weeks that would have previously required an entire developer team. By thinking creatively about how AI tools can accelerate and/or augment our research capabilities, we hope to empower our student fellows with the tools necessary to tackle the specific opportunities and challenges these technologies pose for governance.
In the lab, students will learn to use these coding agents to complete rigorous, participation-based research: from building automated pipelines for legislative drafting to creating simulations to train policy entrepreneurs in advocacy work. Crucially, we focus on using these tools to actively connect people and complicate—rather than simply optimize—our understanding of civic life. Whether it’s deploying interactive environments like the Policy Prototyper or using AI-powered deliberation in the Global Policy Analyst, our ultimate goal is to generate the dynamic, living infrastructure necessary to actively shape a more inclusive future.
PAI-L is convened by Dr. Jose Marichal. Students interested in joining the lab can contact him at marichal@callutheran.edu.
Analog Politics
Can going analog become a social movement?
Unaccountable AI
Should we let AI go rogue?
Techno-Pessimism
Are we better off not expecting too much from AI?
Pluralist AI
Can AI make democracy more, not less expansive