Humanity AI Initiative

Humanity AI Initiative is sponsored by Kapor Foundation and nine other philanthropic organizations. Humanity AI Initiative is a five-year, $500 million philanthropic initiative co-led by the Kapor Foundation and nine partner foundations—including Ford, MacArthur, Mellon, Mozilla, and Packard—that funds organizations and individuals working toward a people-centered, equitable A…

humanityai - Kapor Foundation Hit enter to search or ESC to close Kapor Foundation Joins Humanity AI: A $500M Commitment to Driving A People-Centered AI Future With each attention-grabbing headline about AI’s potential for transforming entire sectors, the trillions of dollars being invested into AI companies, and the risk of economic displacement and environmental harm, we recognize that our society is at a crossroads and facing consequential questions about the future.

Our current innovation ecosystem concentrates power in the hands of a select few (tech companies, VC firms and investors), allowing them to exercise an outsized influence in shaping the future of AI–and benefitting economically from its success.

Meanwhile, broad swaths of society are excluded from the process of designing AI solutions, and risk having their intellectual property utilized without consent or compensation–or worse, their roles eliminated. This is not a recipe for driving an equitable AI-driven future. “AI holds great potential–to either exacerbate inequality, or enhance our ability to solve pressing societal challenges.

” The Kapor Foundation’s longstanding mission has been to rebuild a more equitable technology sector, economy and society.

Our philanthropic and investment strategies stem from the belief that AI can be a powerful force for good, but its potential must be harnessed effectively to ensure that it benefits society, and this will require intentional efforts driven by principled values, investment/grantmaking strategies, and cross-sector collaboration.

“AI holds great potential–to either exacerbate inequality, or enhance our ability to solve pressing societal challenges. And it will require intentionality to harness this potential in service of the communities long-excluded from the economic benefits of tech, and for all of humanity,” said Dr. Allison Scott, CEO of the Kapor Foundation.

“We are thrilled to contribute to this important initiative that will ensure that investments expand computing education, build worker power, build new AI-driven solutions, implement guardrails to minimize harm, and protect civil rights and democracy. Collectively, this initiative represents a bold investment in steering AI’s potential toward a more responsible, ethical, and equitable future.

” Today, we are excited to announce that the Kapor Foundation is doubling down on our mission, in our partnership with a broad coalition of philanthropic leaders, to launch HumanityAI, a $500M five-year initiative dedicated to establishing a future where AI delivers for humanity, strengthens communities, addresses inequality, and enhances creativity.

As part of Humanity AI, ten of the nation’s most dynamic foundations supporting the arts, labor and work, democracy, education, and security will drive new investments toward establishing a people-driven AI future. The Kapor Foundation is joined by HumanityAI founding partners including: Doris Duke Foundation , Ford Foundation , Lumina Foundation , John D. and Catherine T.

MacArthur Foundation , Mellon Foundation , Mozilla Foundation , Omidyar Network , David and Lucile Packard Foundation , and Siegel Family Endowment . The initiative will both directly resource organizations, individuals and initiatives, and build power, momentum, and amplification of philanthropic capital to expand the voices and perspectives at the table in making decisions about AI’s future.

Humanity AI funders have identified the following priorities and have committed to making grants in one or more of these five issue areas: Democracy: New partnerships and frameworks for AI are needed to advance and protect our democracy, and safeguard our rights and freedoms.

Education: The implementation of AI in education must be shaped around the best interests of all students, ensuring it is used as a tool that expands access to knowledge and strengthens how people learn. Humanities and Culture: AI is not a replacement for human creativity, it is an enhancer.

This means protecting artists’ and creators’ work from theft and strengthening ownership protections for the people shaping our culture and society. Labor and Economy: From small towns to big cities, people know AI is and will continue to impact how we work.

To truly have an economy that values people, our work, and enables all of us to thrive, we need to ensure AI is used to enhance how people work, rather than replace them Security: Innovation must not come at a cost to our safety and security. From driverless cars to automated decisions about credit and lending, we need to hold those building and deploying AI to the highest standards to protect people.

Kapor Foundation is proud of its previous support of nearly $10M across variety of initiatives aiming to advance justice and equity in AI; including: Oakland’s Innovation Hub , Brookings Institution AI Equity Lab , Center on Resilience and Digital Justice , Federation of American Scientists , Northwestern’s Center for Responsible Technology, Policy, and Public Dialogue , Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law , Free Press , Distributed AI Research Institute , Tech Equity Collaborative , Responsible AI and Tech Justice for K-12 : Pilots, Kapor Foundation’s Research and Journalism Fellows , and more.

HumanityAI represents an opportunity to drive additional resources to grow and scale the most innovative and promising solutions to advance responsible AI.

Aligned with the Kapor Foundation’s core pillars of education, innovation, and governance, our initial investments will double-down on initiatives and organizations aiming to: Build public awareness of AI’s potential when built and used responsibly; build power across sectors to raise concerns and address harms of AI innovation, Advance equitable computer science education and responsible AI literacy Build a robust and diverse pipeline of researchers, scholars, technologists, and policymakers to shape AI’s future, Develop new technical solutions with inclusive data collection strategies, business models/incentive structures, and broader community engagement Advance equitable AI policies in the public and private sector “This moment requires deep, transformative collaboration across disciplines, sectors, and approaches where AI delivers for humanity, strengthens communities, and unlocks innovation with purpose,” says Lili Gangas, Chief Technology Community Officer.

“HumanityAI will help peer foundations multiply funding to not only take new bets on bold ideas but also ensure continued resourcing of vital organizations that will ensure AI advancements serve the broader public interest needs of society at a critical time. Amidst the uncertainty and challenges we face as a country, we want to ensure that philanthropy is meeting the moment boldly and united.

” The Kapor Foundation works at the intersection of racial equity and technology to build a more equitable technology sector that benefits all of society.

The Kapor Foundation’s core focus areas include: expanding access to computer science/AI education pathways, deploying capital to launch and scale responsible, ethical, and gap-closing AI/tech solutions, and advancing policies that mitigate technology’s harm and enable equitable opportunity. For more information on the Kapor Foundation and the Kapor Center family of organizations, SMASH and Kapor Capital, visit KaporFoundation. org.

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