By: Andreas Mayer
The proliferation of AI-driven systems presents a fundamental challenge to Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), often diminishing user agency and failing to account for value pluralism. Current approaches to value alignment, which rely on centralized, top-down definitions, lack the mechanisms for meaningful contestability. This leaves users and communities unable to challenge or shape the values emb... more
The proliferation of AI-driven systems presents a fundamental challenge to Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), often diminishing user agency and failing to account for value pluralism. Current approaches to value alignment, which rely on centralized, top-down definitions, lack the mechanisms for meaningful contestability. This leaves users and communities unable to challenge or shape the values embedded in the systems that govern their digital lives, creating a crisis of legitimacy and trust. This paper introduces Community-Defined AI Value Pluralism (CDAVP), a socio-technical framework that addresses this gap. It reframes the design problem from achieving a single aligned state to infrastructuring a dynamic ecosystem for value deliberation and application. At its core, CDAVP enables diverse, self-organizing communities to define and maintain explicit value profiles - rich, machine-readable representations that can encompass not only preferences but also community-specific rights and duties. These profiles are then contextually activated by the end-user, who retains ultimate control (agency) over which values guide the AI's behavior. AI applications, in turn, are designed to transparently interpret these profiles and moderate conflicts, adhering to a set of non-negotiable, democratically-legitimated meta-rules. The designer's role shifts from crafting static interfaces to becoming an architect of participatory ecosystems. We argue that infrastructuring for pluralism is a necessary pathway toward achieving robust algorithmic accountability and genuinely contestable, human-centric AI. less
By: Shadeeb Hossain, Ahmed Abdelgawad
Wastage of water is a critical issue amongst the various global crises. This
paper proposes an architecture model for a low-cost, energy efficient SMART
Shower system that is ideal for efficient water management and be able to
predict reliably any accidental fall in the shower space. The sensors in this
prototype can document the surrounding temperature and humidity in real time
and thereby circulate the ideal temperature of water for its p... more
Wastage of water is a critical issue amongst the various global crises. This
paper proposes an architecture model for a low-cost, energy efficient SMART
Shower system that is ideal for efficient water management and be able to
predict reliably any accidental fall in the shower space. The sensors in this
prototype can document the surrounding temperature and humidity in real time
and thereby circulate the ideal temperature of water for its patron, rather
than its reliance on predictive values . Three different scenarios are
discussed that can allow reliably predicting any accidental fall in the shower
vicinity. Motion sensors, sound sensors and gesture sensors can be used to
compliment prediction of possible injuries in the shower. The integration with
the Internet of Things (IoT) platform will allow caretakers to monitor the
activities in the shower space especially in the case of elderly individuals as
there have been reported cases of casualties in the slippery shower space. The
proposed proof-of-concept prototype is cost effective and can be incorporated
into an existing system for the added precedence of safety and convenience. The
intelligent system is conserving water by optimizing its flow temperature and
the IoT platform allows real time monitoring for safety.
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