Luminate

🆕 Research on artificial intelligence—Understanding of AI increases support for regulation: 55% of Latin Americans think their governments should regulate artificial intelligence, with the proportion rising to 65% among those with good knowledge of the tool.   Our survey of 4,000+ citizens across Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico highlights the growing call for AI oversight in the region. Access the full DemocracIA report, based on Ipsos-commissioned data, below.

Earlier this month, the Mad Youth Organise campaign staged a protest outside Meta's London headquarters demanding action against the company's impact on youth mental health. Coordinated by our partner Just Treatment, the protest centred on a proposal to implement a tech levy that could generate £5.2bn annually to address the gap in youth mental health services in the UK: https://lnkd.in/e3XFFRQy Beyond the tax proposal, Mad Youth Organise has launched a comprehensive manifesto challenging the root causes of the youth mental health crisis. Their demands? Decommodify essential services, curb corporate power, compensate affected communities, and give young people a real voice in policy-making.  The central message is clear: while Meta profits, young people's mental health suffers, and it's time for corporate accountability and meaningful change. Learn more about the campaign at https://lnkd.in/eC2MsgKA.

In case you missed it—German civil rights groups have scored a major victory for digital democracy: A Berlin court has mandated X to provide researchers at Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte e.V. and Democracy Reporting International access to vital platform data ahead of Germany's national election on 23 February. The lawsuit is based on the #DigitalServicesAct (DSA), which requires platforms to grant researchers access to relevant data. With misinformation concerns mounting and platform owner Elon Musk's public endorsement of specific political parties, this ruling ensures independent researchers can track information flows during this crucial period.

From climate change, to gender rights, to racial equality: we want to ensure our future is one where technology works for, and not against, people and society.

The companies developing AI are moving lightning fast in their bid to be first to market and maximise the value of their products and investments. We are still paying the huge price from the last round of “move fast and break things” technological advancements from the Big Tech companies and social media platforms. We cannot allow this to happen again. We must ensure the design, development, and use of this technology supports, rather than erodes, human rights and social justice. Right now, innovation, growth, and profit are being systematically prioritised over the health of people, planet, and society. We must put the mechanisms – policy, regulations, laws – in place to limit the outsized power and unchecked harms of the Big Tech and AI companies if we are to ensure that the potential benefits are felt by everyone and are not completely negated by the costs to us all. Read this overview from our partner #AmnestyTech that lays out some of the big issues gathered leaders should be considering during the #AIActionSummit in Paris this week.👇🏽

From algorithmic bias to surging energy use, the pace and scale of #AI development puts communities, civil society, and philanthropic funders on the back foot. There’s an urgent need to ensure that its deployment respects human rights, advances climate action, and protects gender equality and labour rights. These are emergencies that no single foundation can address in isolation: the technology's reach is too broad, its implications too profound, and the companies deploying them too wealthy and powerful. That's why we're proud that Luminate and the AI Collaborative’s support to the European AI & Society Fund's Breakthrough Initiative has helped catalyse over €5 million, together with nine more foundations. This collaboration aims to raise €10 million by the end of 2025 to support crucial work at the intersection of AI and society. Learn more about how we're working to put communities and civil society at the heart of AI development: https://lnkd.in/eiCf8uJW

We’re scaling our response to the AI challenge and we’re more than halfway towards meeting our €10m fundraising goal. The tech industry has captured vast economic and political power and is reaping the benefits of AI hype while society pays the price. It’s increasing injustice, undermining our climate goals and setting back our democratic and human rights. We’re mobilising funders to help turn the tide on AI so it can become a useful tool that’s harnessed with care to deliver the kinds of fair, inclusive and sustainable societies we all want to live in. We're thrilled that three new partners - AI Collaborative of Omidyar Network, Fondation de France, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and eight long-term partners - Adessium Foundation, Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, Ford Foundation, Limelight Foundation, Luminate, Open Society Foundations, Stiftung Mercator GmbH and Robert Bosch Stiftung have so far backed our Breakthrough Initiative with more than €5m committed to strengthening the hand of diverse experts and advocates that can stand up to corporate lobbying and government interests. Our partners are resolute that decisions about AI must be made with and for people and societies, not just the tech giants who often drive its development. “We are proud to support the European AI & Society Fund’s crucial role and purpose in the European funding and civil society landscape,” said Fanny Hidvégi from the AI Collaborative. “We believe that decisions about AI’s role in society must be made by people, with people, and for people. This collective philanthropic effort is key to ensuring that AI is built in a way that is responsible and equitable for everyone.” The €10 million will build on our ongoing work strengthening Europe’s civil society community working on AI, which has also been supported by the Mott Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, King Baudouin Foundation, Mozilla Foundation, Oak Foundation and Porticus. The new funding will grow our community of over 40 organisations working at the intersection of AI and social justice across Europe. It will be directed to organisations that take practical action against harmful AI practices, for instance helping workers challenge abusive labour practices, contesting government surveillance and discrimination or fighting environmentally harmful data centers. And we’ll support bold new thinking that can offer an alternative vision for how AI could serve people and society. If you’d like to collaborate with us to create a future with technology that’s fair and equitable, get in touch: https://lnkd.in/dc7qpKEX

The battle over AI regulation reveals a deepening global divide: Silicon Valley giants push back against comprehensive rules in the West while expanding rapidly in emerging markets - with minimal oversight. In India, AI guides government surveillance and benefit distribution. In South Africa, AI-powered cameras monitor citizens across Gauteng province. The stakes? Our fundamental rights in an increasingly AI-driven world. 💡 "A lot of these endeavors with the big companies are happening at state levels... When you have such readily available data and no real law to set up walls around it, of course companies are going to come in." More from Rest of World: https://lnkd.in/e54XmgiA

The conversation about AI regulation has been dominated by perspectives from the Global North - but what about the rest of the world? Drawing from experiences across Latin America, Africa, and Asia, Gaston Wright illustrates how copy-pasting European regulatory frameworks often fails to address local realities: "For philanthropy to meet this moment, it must go beyond generic funding strategies and adopt localised, context-sensitive approaches that genuinely address this global challenge." From AlgorithmWatch to Access Now, we're seeing how strategic philanthropic support can empower communities and civil society organisations to demand transparency and locally-relevant solutions from both tech companies and governments. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eEF2rWRg

Com a mudança de posicionamento dos executivos das grandes plataformas e seu alinhamento com Donald Trump e outros líderes de extrema-direita, os esforços contra a desinformação e experiências seguras na internet estão em risco. Nesse contexto, fica clara a necessidade de regulamentação e estratégias para enfrentar essas mudanças. 🎙️ Ouça o primeiro episódio de 2025 do Dadocracia do Data Privacy Brasil com Nina Santos do Aláfia Lab e Pedro Vieira Abramovay da Open Society Foundations em que eles discutem o estado atual das Big Tech e mais: https://lnkd.in/e3z7Ve42