129 - Co-Producing AI: Building an Augmented, Participatory Future ft. Rashid Mushkani

RASHID MUSHKANI, LECTURER AT THE UNIVERSITE DE MONTREAL & RESEARCHER AT MILA-QUEBEC AI INSTITUTE

Today on the podcast, Rashid Mushkani is a lecturer at the Université de Montréal and a researcher at Mila—Québec AI Institute, where he builds “public AI” for cities and cultural institutions. His work focuses on participatory datasets, pluralistic alignment, and governance rooted in data rights and sovereignty. He leads StreetReview, a community‑trained system for evaluating street quality, and AI Alignment for Inclusion, a program that co‑designs alternatives with residents and civic partners. Rashid’s current scholarship advances the Right to AI and an augmented, co‑produced AI lifecycle—practical ways to let affected communities set goals, metrics, and guardrails for the models that shape public space. Based in Montréal, he collaborates with community organizations and municipalities to ensure AI amplifies local knowledge rather than overwrites it.