Designing Informed Consent for AI Tools: Supporting Real Choice for Global Majority Users
Do you understand what happens to your data when you use AI tools?
Most people do not.
As AI-powered tools become more common in development and humanitarian contexts, the gap between what users agree to and what they actually understand is growing. Terms and conditions are already difficult to navigate, and become even harder across different languages, literacy levels, digital access realities, and cultural contexts. The consequences of sharing data without full understanding can be especially significant for global majority contexts, particularly for women. In many settings, users have less access to legal protections and face greater risks if personal data is exposed, misused, or politically sensitive.
This session explores how organizations can move beyond checkbox compliance and design AI consent and disclosure processes that are understandable, transparent, and meaningful in practice. Participants will examine real-world examples, identify common failures, and collaboratively explore what more informed and user-centered consent looks like.
In this interactive session, participants will:
- Learn key concepts related to informed consent in digital tools for global development
- Explore examples of informed consent mechanisms in live chatbot-based tools
- Develop a shared understanding of what “better” informed consent looks like
- Test and critique three prototype approaches to improving informed consent—focusing on what helps users truly understand and make real choices.
