DePaul raise Lab
Projects
The DePaul RAISE Lab advances research, public knowledge, and innovation on the social and ethical responsibilities of computing and human-centered technologies
Led by Jay L. Cunningham, Ph.D. a nationally recognized expert in community-centered responsible AI research and justice-oriented technology design.
Public Interest Technology
The Responsible AI Systems and Societal Experiences (RAISE) Lab at DePaul University serves as the primary research hub for Dr. Jay L. Cunningham’s scholarship at the intersection of Human–Computer Interaction (HCI), AI ethics, and public-interest technology. The lab advances interdisciplinary, community-engaged research that critically examines how AI systems are designed, governed, and experienced in real-world social contexts.
RAISE Lab research is organized around seven interrelated pillars:
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Human-Centered AI
Investigating how AI systems can be designed, evaluated, and governed to align with human values, lived experience, and social context—prioritizing usability, interpretability, accountability, and harm prevention.
Community-Collaborative Computing
Advancing participatory, co-design, and community advisory board (CAB) models that position impacted communities as collaborators and decision-makers in computing research, system development, and governance.
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Global South AI Equity
Examining AI development and deployment in Global South and post-colonial contexts, with emphasis on linguistic inclusion, cultural alignment, resource asymmetries, and transnational governance.
Socio-technical Harm Measurement
Developing qualitative, mixed-methods, and participatory approaches to identify, surface, and assess social, cultural, and structural harms arising from AI and automated systems beyond technical performance metrics
Responsible Data Economy
Studying data production, ownership, governance, and stewardship practices, including community-centered data governance, data trusts, ethical data sourcing, and accountability across AI data pipelines.
Inclusive Financial Technologies
Investigating how financial technologies and algorithmic decision systems shape access, exclusion, and opportunity, particularly for historically marginalized and underbanked communities.
Equitable Speech & Natural Language Technologies
Examining bias, representation, and linguistic justice in speech recognition, NLP, and generative language systems, with a focus on racially and culturally marginalized language communities.
Projects
Our research is grounded in authentic partnerships with communities underserved by technology. We don't just study communities—we learn from them, partner with them, and ensure they lead in defining what responsible AI means.
15+
Community Partners
5
Countries Engaged
100%
Community Benefit Focus
3
Policy Influences
Ready to be part of advancing responsible AI that serves the common good? Whether you're a student, researcher, community organization, or industry partner, there's a place for you in our movement.
Location
DePaul University,
College of Computing & Digital Media
Chicago, IL
