Power to shape:
CSO Voices on AI
Join an open CSO Conversation shaping understanding and co-creating a framework for civil society to more effectively influence how AI is used in delivering public services. Share insights, shape strategy, and co-create a shared agenda for action for ethical AI governance.
About the CSO Conversation
Civil society is essential to shaping how AI is governed and used in public services, but its influence remains limited.
This was made clear during the 2025 Paris AI Action Summit. While civil society was present at the Summit, it lacked meaningful power to shape the agenda, highlighting the need for deeper reflection, connection, and collaboration.
Yet CSOs are not starting from scratch. Across sectors and regions, they are raising alarms, supporting communities, and developing alternatives. What’s missing is a space to take stock, share strategies, and build collective momentum.
That’s why we’re convening a Clever Together Conversation, a voluntary, best-effort initiative led by AI governance researchers and practitioners, to collectively answer the question "How can we – as civil society – better leverage our power to ensure AI in public services is used in just, inclusive and democratic ways?"
Launching on: 23 May 2025 @12pm (noon) CET
Beginning with: ACTIVE half-day co-creation session
Closing on: 6 June 2025
Power to Shape: CSO Voices on AI contributes to a wider ecosystem of civil society action. It offers space to reflect, learn from one another, and co-create a shared framework and agenda for action, so that AI in public services is more responsive to public needs, and grounded in ethics, equity, and democratic values.
The findings will be published in an open-source academic paper and, if successful, presented at a multi-stakeholder workshop within the UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of AI 2025 and/or other similar conferences.
More importantly, they’ll be shared openly to feed into future work, collaborations, and advocacy efforts across our networks. And you can use them too!
About the Conveners
This Conversation is convened by a cross-disciplinary team with deep expertise in civil society advocacy, AI policy, and participatory governance. Together, we bring decades of experience working with frontline organisations, influencing AI governance, and designing inclusive, action-oriented research.
We will host and facilitate the engagement, ensuring a respectful, reflective and inclusive space for diverse CSO voices. We’ll analyse contributions, identify common themes, and co-author the resulting framework and article.
Lidia Velkova
Managing Director
Clever Together Futureproof
Leda Kuneva
Senior Consultant
Clever Together Futureproof
Anna Colom
Senior Policy Lead
The Data Tank
Marta Poblet
Senior Research Lead
The Data Tank
Tim Davies
Research Director
Connected by Data
About Clever Together's Conversations
The Power to Shape: CSO Voices on AI Conversation will take place on Clever Together’s secure, award-winning digital platform, designed for large-scale, inclusive engagement that supports open, impactful collaboration.
Unlike a webinar or survey, this will an active, asynchronous conversation. Participants will respond to open-ended questions, read and comment on others’ ideas, and vote on the insights that matter most.
The Conversation will be:
ANONYMOUS BY DESIGN: Ideas are shared without names, encouraging honest reflection and reducing bias.
FLEXIBLE: You can take part in as little as 15 minutes, or return over time to deepen your contribution.
CIVIL SOCIETY-ONLY: To protect the space, only CSOs and academics/ researchers are invited.
HUMAN-FACILITATED: The convening team will analyse and curate insights, highlighting shared priorities, successes, and strategies.
The platform is accessible from any device. Join on 23 May and come back as often as you like before the conversation closes on 6 June.
