Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life
Building Robust & Inclusive Democracy

Tufts Center for Civic AI

The Tufts Center for Civic AI advances the responsible design, evaluation, and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) tools that strengthen civic life. We also bring a civic approach to AI itself, emphasizing participation, shared decision-making, and public accountability in determining whether and how AI should be developed and used.

The Tufts Center for Civic AI advances the responsible design, evaluation, and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) tools that strengthen civic life. We also bring a civic approach to AI itself, emphasizing participation, shared decision-making, and public accountability in determining whether and how AI should be developed and used.

The word “civic” refers to how human beings govern themselves in all kinds of contexts, not only governments and democratic systems but also groups and organizations, communities, movements, professions, and networks. Anything is “civic” if it helps people to make decisions, manage resources, and otherwise govern themselves.

The Center's work is both constructive and critical. We develop and evaluate AI tools that can strengthen civic capacities and collective action, while also examining how AI can reshape institutions, concentrate power, or displace human judgment. A civic approach means considering not only what AI can do, but whether it should be used, who participates in those decisions, and how its impacts are evaluated and governed.

Three Pillars

The Center will pursue its mission through three interconnected pillars, representing ongoing and future projects:

  • The Center's labs design, study, evaluate, and deploy AI systems while also examining their broader implications for civic life. A central commitment is to a civic approach to AI, with a strong emphasis on co-design and ongoing collaboration with community and civic partners. The Center maintains a flexible lab structure, allowing new labs to form and existing labs to evolve as research interests, community needs, and partnerships develop.
     

    Our current labs include:
    •    AI for Civic Foundations Lab
    •    AI Access & Inclusion Lab
    •    Civic AI Applications Lab

  • The Center is developing interdisciplinary educational pathways that combine technical AI training with civic studies, ethical reasoning, and experiential learning. Proposed programs include a Civic AI Minor and a Master's in Civic AI, alongside courses and hands-on projects that engage students with real civic and institutional challenges. A central emphasis is learning to assess whether, when, and how AI can appropriately contribute to addressing these challenges.

  • The Center works to strengthen the capacity of civic organizations, public institutions, and communities to make informed decisions about AI. Planned activities include workshops for civic leaders, public conversations, and collaborations with community and institutional partners. These activities will help participants understand AI's capabilities and limitations, evaluate potential applications, and consider questions of governance, accountability, and responsible adoption.

People

The Tufts Center for Civic AI is led by two Co-Directors and brings together faculty and staff from seven Tufts schools and colleges, along with fellows who contribute professional expertise and connections beyond the university.

AI for Civic Foundations Lab

We build and study AI tools that support the core capacities of civic life—how communities access information, reason together, organize, and act collectively.

AI Access & Inclusion Lab

The AI Access & Inclusion Lab studies who can meaningfully access and benefit from advances in AI, and develops technical, institutional, and policy approaches to reduce barriers to access.

Civic AI Applications Lab

The Civic AI Applications Lab brings together a diverse range of research projects that extend beyond the more focused agendas of the Center's other labs.