Designing AI-Infused Interactive Systems for Online Communities: A Systematic Literature Review

AI-infused systems have demonstrated remarkable capabilities in addressing diverse human needs within online communities. Their widespread adoption has shaped user experiences and community dynamics at scale. However, designing such systems requires a clear understanding of user needs, careful design decisions, and robust evaluation. In this work, we present a systematic review of 77 studies on AI-infused systems in online communities, analyzing them through three lenses: the challenges they aim to address, their design functionalities, and the evaluation strategies employed. The first two dimensions are organized around four core aspects of community participation: contribution, consumption, mediation, and moderation. Our synthesis distills a set of key design lessons and considerations, including the necessity to design for broader community ecosystems and prioritize user emotional experiences. We conclude by outlining future directions, such as newcomer socialization and inclusive design.