Democratising AI in qualitative psychology: the role of public involvement

Relational trust is central to credible and ethical qualitative psychology. The rapid influx of artificial intelligence (AI) into qualitative research could alter these dynamics by enabling automated transcription, coding, and analysis, raising concerns about interpretation, accountability, legitimacy and ethical and privacy implications for AI-assisted analysis. Public involvement refers to engagement with multiple, situated publics, beyond the professional research roles that traditionally lead problem definition and interpretive decisions. This article argues that public involvement should be treated as critical infrastructure for ethical AI use in qualitative psychological research. Focusing on approaches within the ‘big Q’ tradition, it examines how AI-mediated processes can distance researchers from lived experience, obscure analytic judgement, and amplify epistemic risks. Drawing on the SenseMate case study, the article demonstrates how co-design and public oversight can support transparency, reflexivity, and interpretive responsibility in AI-augmented qualitative analysis, while noting the practical limits and potential biases introduced with public involvement. It concludes that democratising AI requires sustained public engagement to support trust, autonomy, and epistemic justice.