Qualitative Research in the Age of AI: Insights on Culturally Responsive, Community-Engaged Inquiry

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 4:15 pm - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: Qualitative Inquiry in the Age of AI: Reflexivity, Collaboration, Cultural Responsiveness, and a Counter Balance

Abstract

This paper offers methodological insights from a study examining how an urban university addresses inequities affecting Black communities. Using a culturally responsive participatory design, we conducted interviews with Black residents to explore university-community engagement. We illustrate how technology—particularly generative AI—challenged our qualitative recruitment and data collection strategies. We highlight how our widely circulated online flyer led to over 800 interview sign-ups, as well as how some participants used ChatGPT to inquire about the study and generate interview responses. These examples reveal how technology shifts participant engagement and assumptions about cultural responsiveness. By engaging in technological reflexivity, we consider the implications of these challenges when navigating equity-centered qualitative work in the age of AI.

Authors

• Jori N. Hall, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Kwame Poku-Acheampong, University of Illionios Chicago