Participatory AI Justice in HCI: A Scoping Review

Participatory design is increasingly used to address the negative social impacts of artificial intelligence (AI), aiming for more inclusive and equitable innovation. However, it can inadvertently reproduce injustice and reinforce power imbalances, even with good intentions. While the HCI community is critical of these issues, the existing knowledge is often fragmented, making it challenging for AI researchers and policymakers to navigate. This paper presents a scoping review of participatory AI research in HCI focused on justice. We detail how participatory AI unfolds in practice and offers methodological insights on the roles of researchers and partnership with communities, the practical and contextual challenges, the role of reflexivity and situatedness and the essential but not so central role of artefacts in participatory processes. We conclude with recommendations for engaging in participatory design to promote justice in AI systems.