The UC Davis Center for Artificial Intelligence and Experimental Futures (CAIEF) promotes the democratic governance of AI systems by engaging diverse stakeholders in processes of creative worldmaking—crafting the world of tomorrow, together. The center takes an experimental humanities approach that combines fundamental research on the social dimensions of AI with forward-looking research on designing sociotechnical systems. CAIEF explores the cultural narratives, discursive practices, and imagined futures that shape decisions about AI and influence the course of its development. CAIEF also experiments with new AI systems and community-design methods to prototype democratic modes of AI governance and responsible innovation. CAIEF’s long-term vision underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, democratic participation, and creative imagination in navigating the complex challenges and opportunities presented by AI technologies.

The center is directed by Prof. Colin Milburn and is hosted in the Science and Technology Studies Department. The center involves 26 faculty members from across the College of Letters and Science, the College of Engineering, and the School of Law. The center is a national Humanities Research Center on Artificial Intelligence supported by a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH Award RAI-301512).

https://lettersandsciencemag.ucdavis.edu/community/uc-davis-launch-artificial-intelligence-center

https://www.neh.gov/news/neh-awards-272-million-create-ai-research-centers

https://caief.ucdavis.edu