Exploring Democratic AI Governance: A Cross-Jurisdictional Inquiry

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into society raises critical questions about its implications for democracy. Emerging legislative frameworks to regulate AI provide both a challenge and an opportunity to embed the key tenets of participatory and deliberative democracy into AI governance. This article examines how legislative frameworks in the EU, Brazil and Canada support participatory and deliberative democracy, drawing on Himmelreich’s framework comprised of ‘association,’ ‘participation’ and ‘deliberation’. The analysis reveals that while all three jurisdictions emphasise AI ethics and introduce a range of regulatory instruments, they fall short of establishing robust and explicit mechanisms to enable meaningful citizen participation and deliberation. Although they promote various associational initiatives such as multi-stakeholder collaboration, co and self-regulation, these frameworks lack institutionalised avenues for sustained citizen engagement. Notably, however, Brazil’s proposed legislation features promising provisions on individual rights and participatory tools. Overall, the study advocates for formalised venues and platforms which empower individuals to voice their perspectives and influence policy decisions in the evolving landscape of AI governance.