Humanity AI Commits $500 Million to Build a People-Centered Future for AI

A broad coalition of philanthropic leaders announced Humanity AI, a $500 million five-year initiative dedicated to making sure people have a stake in the future of artificial intelligence (AI). 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 future where AI delivers for humanity, strengthens communities, and enhances human creativity. To address the important questions that AI is raising, the Doris Duke Foundation, Ford Foundation, Lumina Foundation, Kapor Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Mellon Foundation, Mozilla Foundation, Omidyar Network, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and Siegel Family Endowment are mobilizing philanthropy to ensure that people have a powerful voice to amplify their needs and interests, which are too often left out of discussions around AI.  Humanity AI funders have identified the following priorities and have committed to making grants in one or more 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.