Possible Futures

Prioritizing local knowledge would give us a world in which technology serves each community’s unique needs: from prioritizing Indigenous languages, to market tools that allow people to barter for their preferred exchange. When we build technology tailored to the needs of specific communities, we strengthen those communities, preserve our cultural heritage, and ensure no one is left behind.

Imagine a mother being able to find out what happened to her missing daughter. Picture her receiving a small kit in the mail, as simple as the ancestry tests many people use for fun. She would swab her cheek, send it back, and then wait - not for 19 years, but perhaps just a few weeks. Then, one day, she gets a notification. There's a match.

Here we imagine the healing that could be possible for the families of Eritrea's missing.

An informal, in-depth guide to collecting social media data at scale.

Our grandmothers have always contributed their wisdom and experiences to keep us rooted in our culture. We want the internet to be a place where they can continue to engage our families from far away through stories of our history. Here, we reimagine a better internet, one that is truly inclusive and accessible to all.

Imagine a world where free, high-quality education is accessible to anyone, anywhere; where learning knows no boundaries of geography, financial means, or social circumstances; a world that celebrates the collective knowledge and skills of humanity across cultures.

We explore what the world can look like when we design and deploy technology that centers the needs of our communities.

December 2, 2023 marked the 2nd anniversary of DAIR’s launch–and the 3rd anniversary of my ouster from Google.

Dr. Alex Hanna writes about our first anniversary celebration and racism which marks the establishment of borders and restrictions to freedom of travel. We want to hold that fact while also elevating the joy and celebration of our collective work in our first full year.

Join us in demanding an end to Israeli apartheid and occupation, an end to Gaza genocide, and an end to Western complicity.

Tech giant must answer questions about the working conditions of data workers involved in training generative AI systems.

The harms from so-called AI are real and present and follow from the acts of people and corporations deploying automated systems.

We’re happy to publish this report on the Distributed AI Research Institute's first retreat and our anniversary celebration event.