AI Detectives 101: A Digital Escape-Room Workshop for Critical AI Literacies, Co-Creation, and Ethical AI Design

Abstract

This work presents an immersive escape-room workshop designed to foster critical AI literacies, co-creation, and ethical reflection. The pilot study involved 13 participants who collaboratively engaged in puzzles that simulate how AI systems are trained, how bias emerges, and how design decisions shape inclusivity and fairness. Guided by Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) principles, and using a game-based format, the workshop aimed to engage participants with AI concepts through interactive challenges that encourage reflection on the ethical design of technology. This study explores three research questions: (1) how the escape room format enhances a digital game to promote critical AI literacies and ethical reflection, (2) how JEDI framing in both the art medium and AI system design influences ethical reasoning, and (3) how co-creation tasks foster participants’ sense of agency in shaping inclusive AI systems. Findings showed that while participants struggled with factual recall in individual tasks, they demonstrated greater engagement, collaboration, and ethical reasoning in open-ended activities. This progression from bias detection to inclusive design thinking illustrates the potential of the escape room format to foster not only active learning and motivation but also value-sensitive design practices. Participants’ generation of diverse solutions showcase how plural perspectives enrich the redesign of ethical AI systems.