Major AI governance decisions in the UK have been made without meaningful public deliberation. Citizens have had no structured opportunity to shape the rules governing AI that will affect their lives.
Verified: 1 March 2026 · Last updated: 1 March 2026 · Jurisdiction: UK
Despite AI being described by the Prime Minister as “the defining technology of our time,” there has been no citizens’ assembly, deliberative process, or structured public engagement on AI governance in the UK.
Decisions about how AI should be regulated, what risks are acceptable, and what safeguards are needed have been made by:
- Government ministers and civil servants
- AI company executives (through lobbying and advisory roles)
- A small number of academic and civil society voices
Deliberative democratic mechanisms - such as citizens’ assemblies, which have been used successfully for complex issues like climate policy and abortion law in Ireland - have not been applied to AI governance, despite being well-suited to exactly this type of complex, values-laden policy question.
Sources (2)
- Analysis
- Analysis
public participationdemocratic deficitdeliberationcitizens assemblies