Society, Justice & Public Services

Who we are and what we do

The Society, Justice & Public Services research domain builds evidence on how people and society are affected by data and AI and seeks to shape how political choices and public services will be designed in the information age. We lead Ada’s research on questions of social justice and social policy.

As data and AI touch every aspect of our lives – from education and healthcare to elections and relationships – we explore how people’s lives and livelihoods are affected by these technologies. We amplify underheard voices, consider how social policy should respond to rebalance power of data and AI, and support individuals and communities to flourish. We examine how the use of data-driven technologies and AI affect our notion of and expectations of both the state and the ‘social contract’, and seek to articulate a positive vision for society in the information age.

In particular, we interrogate:

• how inequalities (and our understanding of inequalities) are shaped by data and AI
• how data affects notions of identity, community, diversity and solidarity
• what impact data and AI have on access to information, agency and decision-making.

Through our work, we seek to influence the practice, policy and design of public services. Our research builds a sociotechnical understanding of AI in public services from the ground up, examining how the use of AI affects complex systems and attempts to deal with ‘wicked’ problems. We build evidence using a range of methods, including desk research, workshops and roundtables, ethnographic studies and public participation to understand people’s experiences and society’s needs. The evidence we gather is used to shape politics and policies to improve wellbeing, justice and inclusivity.

We engage with frontline professions, public services, expert bodies, citizens and affected people, regulators and government departments to explore how different actors across the public sector could use AI in the public interest. Our public and expert deliberations aim to shape how public services should use AI effectively and with legitimacy, and how public services should evolve in light of developments in AI and data-driven technologies. We seek to build capacity and knowledge among those working in the public sector, enabling their critical engagement with, and informed decision-making about, emerging technologies.

What we are working on

We are currently working on the following projects: