Although recent significant innovation in AI has yielded exciting capabilities and benefits, AI has been well-documented to cause harm, such as through algorithmic bias. Marginalized youth under the age of 18 are particularly harmed by AI bias but underexplored as stakeholders and contributors to the design of technology. In this dissertation, I explore empowering diverse youth through AI literacy and participatory responsible AI engagement opportunities with the design and evaluation of AI. In my studies, I found that diverse youth are capable of understanding and discussing the nuances of AI, and that they can further be supported with AI literacy opportunities that foster critical consciousness and design thinking. I developed and tested a framework to support youth in critiquing AI in three steps: Recognize, Analyze, and Deliberate, finding that this framework helped youth engage in critical discourse about AI ethics. Lastly, I explored including youth the ongoing evaluation of deployed AI systems through user-engaged algorithm auditing. Overall, this dissertation lends insight into empowering diverse youth to engage in shaping the future of responsible AI.

140 pages

Thesis Committee:
Amy Ogan (Co-Chair)
Motahhare Eslami (Co-Chair)
Jessica Hammer (Co-Chair)
Lauren Wilcox (Apple)
Michael Madaio (Google Research)

Brad A. Myers, Head, Human-Computer Interaction Institute
Martial Hebert, Dean, School of Computer Science

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