DASS: A Multi-level Collaborative Design Framework for Cross-sovereignty Software Accountability

该项目解决了一个突出的挑战，即确保各部落国家和美国政府之间在紧急情况管理方面进行合作的软件问责制。土著社区是自然灾害期间最脆弱的群体之一。在美国各级政府和部落国家之间建立有效的合作对于管理部落土地上的紧急情况至关重要，而软件系统在实现这种合作方面发挥着至关重要的作用。该项目旨在解决因部落国家独特的治理结构、文化和技术条件以及它们与其他主权实体的错综复杂的关系而产生的独特的软件问责挑战。该项目开发并实现了一个多层次参与式设计框架和一个用于应急管理的AI(人工智能)聊天机器人。这一倡议加强了部落国家的应急管理，改善了跨主权软件问责，并提高了土著社区对人工智能系统的认识。该项目有两个主要目标：(A)开发、实施和验证一个多层次的协作设计框架，以确保跨主权实体的软件系统问责；(B)开发和实施一个用于土著社区应急管理的综合性运营、启用人工智能的聊天机器人。该项目创建了一个新颖的多层次软件设计框架，让部落国家的利益相关者和美国政府参与到参与过程中来。这一框架指导人工智能聊天机器人的开发、实施、评估和完善，与两个中西部部落国家密切合作，并接受全国各地土著社区的投入。该项目有助于提高三个领域的知识和实践：(A)与土著人民和政府利益攸关方进行多层次参与性设计和实施，特别是负责的软件系统；(B)通过协作利用人工智能技术，执行部落应急管理；以及(C)验证设计框架和软件实施对土著社区的普遍适用性和本地适应性。该项目由设计负责任的软件系统计划和既定的激励竞争研究计划(EPSCoR)共同资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project addresses the salient challenge of ensuring software accountability for collaboration on emergency management across tribal nations and the United States government. Indigenous communities are among the most vulnerable populations during natural disasters. Establishing effective collaboration between U.S. governments at all levels and tribal nations is pivotal for managing emergencies on tribal lands, with software systems playing a vital role in enabling this cooperation. This project aims to tackle the distinct software accountability challenges arising from the unique governance structures, cultures, and technological conditions of tribal nations, as well as their intricate relations with other sovereign entities. This project develops and implements a multi-level participatory design framework and an AI (artificial intelligence) chatbot for emergency management. This initiative enhances emergency management in tribal nations, improves cross-sovereignty software accountability, and elevates AI system literacy among indigenous communities.This project has two primary aims: (a) the development, implementation, and validation of a multi-level collaborative design framework for ensuring software system accountability across sovereign entities and (b) the development and implementation of an integrative operational AI-enabled chatbot for emergency management in indigenous communities. The project creates a novel multi-level software design framework, engaging stakeholders from tribal nations and the U.S. government in a participatory process. This framework guides the development, implementation, evaluation, and refinement of the AI chatbot in working closely with two mid-western tribal nations and receiving input from indigenous communities across the country. This project contributes to the advancement in the knowledge and practice in three areas: (a) multi-level participatory design and implementation with indigenous people and government stakeholders, specifically for accountable software systems, (b) the performance of tribal emergency management through the collaborative utilization of AI techniques, and (c) validation of the design framework and software implementation's general applicability and local adaptability with indigenous communities.This project is jointly funded by Designing Accountable Software Systems program and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.