Sammy McKinney

Trinity Hall
  • PhD Student
  • Supervisor: Professor Jude Browne
Sammy McKinney

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About

Thesis Title: Artificial Intelligence, democratic deliberation and the politics of scaling: A normative analysis of AI’s democratic (dis)value in deliberative mini-publics

Research

Research interests

  • Democratic theory
  • Deliberative democracy
  • Democratic innovation
  • Deliberative mini-publics
  • Citizens’ assemblies
  • Science and technology studies
  • Politics and ethics of AI
  • Civic tech

Sammy McKinney is a PhD student in Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge and an AI and Deliberation Fellow at DemocracyNext. His PhD research critically explores the integration of artificial intelligence into processes of public deliberation, especially citizens’ assemblies. More specifically, he deploys empirical methods (key informant interviews, participant observation, and case studies) to shed light on the normative implications of scaling deliberative processes through AI.  

This research expands on his master's thesis carried out at the University of Edinburgh, which he published in an adapted form in the Journal of Deliberative Democracy. Beyond academia, Sammy has facilitated AI governance courses for BlueDot Impact, co-developed ethical guidelines for AI in public deliberation with deliberAIde, and planned tech-enhanced conservation projects with partners from across the globe through Rainforest Connection.

Key publications: 

  • McKinney, S., 2024. Integrating artificial intelligence into citizens’ assemblies: Benefits, concerns and future pathways. Journal of Deliberative Democracy, 20(1).
  • McKinney, Sammy and Claudia Chwalisz (2025). “Five dimensions of scaling democratic deliberation: With and beyond AI”, DemocracyNext.