Citizens have historically dealt with complex bureaucratic systems to access public services, often encountering various dilemmas (Lipsky, 2010). These challenges are even more evident for immigrants unfamiliar with the host country’s administrative structures and language. To address these challenges, the emergence of AI-powered chatbots offers a new model of interaction that can simplify access, support inclusion, and transform the experience of navigating public systems (Hosseini & Tupasela, 2024). With the rise of AI language models like ChatGPT, the role of chatbots extends beyond simply facilitating access, positioning them as new gatekeepers for essential rights and services. Public services are increasingly turning to generative AI systems like ChatGPT for communication, service delivery, and user interaction. From immigration offices and social welfare departments to municipal information portals, chatbot interfaces are shaping the way people interact with government, often in invisible or unresponsive ways.
This session explores how chatbots (particularly, AI-driven chatbots both enable and constrain migrants’ integration and inclusion. What new opportunities or challenges may arise for migrants concerning the use of digital services with AI-based chatbots? How do these tools affect migrants' trust, access, and participation in public services? And what alternative designs, policies, or narratives can promote more equitable chatbot interactions? We welcome interdisciplinary contributions beyond the examples listed. A wide range of perspectives can take the form of theoretical and empirical studies, methodological analyses, speculative designs, policy critiques, and creative works.
Language of session: English.