AI, Democracy, and Student Voice: Co-Creating the Future of AI | Dr. Allison Lester

How can we ensure that AI strengthens democracy, empowers students, and serves the communities it affects? In this episode of **AI x Higher Ed**, hosts Dr. Anand Rao and Stefan Bauschard welcome **Dr. Allison Lester**, Assistant Teaching Professor in the School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University and Chief Learning Officer of ASU's Mechanics of Democracy Lab. Drawing on her background in participatory action research, Dr. Lester challenges traditional approaches to AI adoption and governance. Rather than imposing AI policies on students and communities, she argues that the people most affected by these technologies should play a central role in designing them. The conversation explores how Dr. Lester works with students to co-create classroom AI policies, develop custom GPTs, and engage in meaningful discussions about AI ethics, autonomy, and responsibility. She also shares how ASU's Mechanics of Democracy Lab brings students, election officials, and technology partners together to develop practical AI solutions that improve election administration and strengthen public trust. The discussion addresses both the promise and the risks of AI for democracy, from streamlining election operations to confronting misinformation, cybersecurity threats, and declining public trust. *Topics discussed include:* Why students should help create their own classroom AI policies How participatory action research can inform responsible AI development Building relationships, critical thinking, and AI literacy in higher education Connecting universities and communities through AI hackathons Practical applications of AI in election administration The risks of AI-generated misinformation and threats to election integrity Why students deserve a meaningful voice in institutional AI governance Moving beyond symbolic participation toward genuine collaboration and shared decision-making *A central question runs throughout the conversation: What would AI governance look like if we designed technologies with people rather than for them?* For educators, university leaders, policymakers, and anyone interested in the intersection of AI, higher education, and democracy, this episode offers a compelling vision of participatory, community-centered AI development. *Learn more about Dr. Allison Lester's work:* Arizona State University's Mechanics of Democracy Lab - https://modl.spa.asu.edu/ Thinking Through podcast -    / @thinkingthroughpodcast   Connect with Dr. Lester on LinkedIn -   / allisonjoann   #AIxHigherEd #ArtificialIntelligence #AIEducation #AIGovernance #Democracy #HigherEducation #AILiteracy #StudentVoice #ElectionIntegrity #ResponsibleAI