Stanford-Led Forum Invites Public to Guide Future of AI Agents Through Deliberative Dialogue

Industry Forum Invites Public Input on the Future of AI Agents

There’s a clear gap between the AI technology being developed and how much the public understands about it. What if the public were more than just users—what if they helped guide how AI evolves?

Stanford University’s Deliberative Democracy Lab is leading an industry-wide forum to gather public feedback on key questions facing AI agent development. Major players like Cohere, Meta, Oracle, and PayPal are collaborating on this, with guidance from the Collective Intelligence Project. The goal is to involve everyday people in discussions about tech policy and product decisions that don’t have simple answers.

Why Now?

AI technology is advancing quickly, and this is the perfect moment to involve the public in deciding what they want AI agents to do. The forum uses Stanford’s Deliberative Polling method, which gives people a chance to learn about complex issues, discuss them in small groups, and share their perspectives. The event is scheduled for Fall 2025.

Results will be made public, and Stanford will host webinars so everyone can explore the findings and ask questions.

Voices from Industry Leaders

Saurabh Baji, CTO of Cohere: “This collaborative approach strengthens trust in AI agents and helps set cross-industry standards. We’re eager to work together to define how agents will serve both businesses and individuals.”

Prakhar Mehrotra, SVP of AI at PayPal: “Trust and responsibility are core to PayPal. This forum’s collaborative nature brings valuable perspectives to shape the future of agentic commerce.”

Rob Sherman, Meta’s VP, AI Policy & Deputy Chief Privacy Officer: “Community feedback helps us innovate effectively. This partnership will deepen our understanding of public views on AI technology.”

The Forum Experience

The forum will run on the AI-assisted Stanford Online Deliberation Platform, a joint effort between Stanford’s lab and the Crowdsourced Democracy Team. Participants from diverse backgrounds will deliberate in small groups, sharing their experiences and expectations for AI products.

The forum will also integrate insights from the Collective Intelligence Project’s Global Dialogues conducted on the Remesh platform.

Why Deliberation Matters

This method educates participants on AI topics, laying out options and their tradeoffs. People then reflect on what they’ve learned and their own experiences before giving feedback. This leads to more thoughtful and useful input than quick reactions.

James Fishkin, Director of Stanford's Deliberative Democracy Lab: “This forum is a key step in making AI development more democratic, ensuring public voices are heard clearly and thoughtfully.”

Benefits for Product Development

• Gains insight into what users want from AI agents, improving product market fit
• Builds trust and legitimacy with users by involving them early
• Strengthens industry collaboration around AI standards

As AI agents soon take on more user transactions, balancing value and risks is critical. This forum helps companies anticipate user needs and concerns, making AI products more aligned with real-world expectations.

For product managers and developers, this means a chance to create AI agents that truly serve users while maintaining transparency and trust.

To learn more about AI and how it intersects with product development, explore trusted resources like Complete AI Training’s latest courses.