PhD project within SICTA Next Generation Urban Mobility (SICTA-NGUM)

My PhD research is situated within the SICTA-NGUM project and focuses on developing a methodology for utilizing Generative AI (GenAI) as a digital participation tool. The central hypothesis posits that an AI-driven methodology could mitigate the barriers to engagement with diverse stakeholder groups, such as children.

Building on this hypothesis, the GenAI methodology is designed to function as a boundary object that bridges the gap between municipalities and various demographics. This approach facilitates municipal outreach while simultaneously providing these groups with a structured platform for meaningful collaboration with local authorities. 

Project activities conducted to date

We recently completed a six-part workshop series at a school in Luleå. The initial three sessions focused on establishing a sensory understanding of the physical environment, while subsequent sessions evaluated GenAI and Virtual Reality (VR) as tools for co-design.

Within the GenAI workshops, students acted as co-creators and critical evaluators, utilizing the technology for rapid ideation and visualization. The objective of employing GenAI is to engage diverse stakeholders in co-production processes to develop contextual interventions. The generated material is not viewed as finalized proposals; rather, it serves as a basis for discussion to understand and interpret children's needs and the logic underlying their priorities.

This methodology facilitates a deeper dialogue regarding the what, how, and why of environmental modifications to accommodate specific requirements. By using technology as a medium for resonance and reflection, the process generates interpretable data while not requiring much technical know-how for the participants.

Observations and Results:

● Accelerated Prototyping: Students visualized complex environmental modifications, such as infrastructure changes, vegetation, and pathways, in real-time.
● Feasibility Evaluation: The AI output served as catalysts for discussions on practical feasibility and agency.
● Increased Engagement: Digital tools were perceived as more stimulating and faster than traditional hand-drawing, opening up to new perspectives in the discourse.
● High Data Density: The methodology generates comprehensive visual data and a prompt report to facilitate the analysis of user requirements, supplemented by discussion materials from the workshops.

Current status

The project has transitioned into a phase where results from the workshop series are being converted into action proposals. These proposals are developed in collaboration with Luleå Municipality and a local upper secondary school to ensure local support and practical feasibility. Following the selection process, students from the upper secondary school are responsible for the practical development. Subsequently, we are aiming to have the original class from the workshop series serve as a jury to determine which solutions should be implemented.