DAIR Institute (original) (raw)

"The AI Con" is out now, by our very own Alex Hanna and Emily M. Bender! Get your copy & learn more.

★★★

We cut through the AI hype.

AI has become more than just a buzzword. We show what “AI” can really do (and what it can’t).
See our work

We ground our research in community.

If we want technology that addresses real problems, we need people who understand those problems firsthand. All of our innovation is driven by local expertise and community need.
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We imagine alternative futures.

Whose technological imagination are you living in? We cultivate dreaming as a discipline. If we want to build a better world, we need to imagine it first.
See our work

The Distributed AI Research Institute is an independent organization conducting community-rooted research. We are a globally distributed group of academics, activists, and engineers who believe in technology that benefits everyone.

Our work is centered on lived experience.

We believe that research should center the people most impacted by technology and should be rooted in community needs. As a globally-distributed team, we're able to remain embedded in our communities worldwide, and to include a greater diversity of perspectives and lived experiences to inform our research and other projects.

Our research is comprehensive and principled.

We take the time to do it right and don’t make assumptions. Our deliberate, comprehensive research processes generate findings that lead to meaningful results and offer pathways for building technological tools and systems that communities want and need.

We invest in healthy, thriving researchers.

We reject academic burnout. We support families, take time off, and participate in our local communities. Our best work happens when we have the freedom and support to live full and connected lives outside of work.

We build the technologies we want to see in the world.

People want and deserve to see themselves reflected in technology. We believe that the suite of tools known as “artificial intelligence” can include thoughtful, supportive, and inclusive technologies that benefit our communities. However, we also believe that AI is seldom the solution and its advance should not be treated as inevitable.

Our research areas

Data for Change

We use quantitative and qualitative methodologies to equip historically marginalized groups with data to drive change.

6 projects

The Real Harms of AI Systems

We cut through the AI hype to expose the real harms of AI systems.

7 projects

Alternative Tech Futures

We envision and create new technological futures centered on care, safety, and possibility beyond our current realities.

4 projects

Governance Frameworks for AI Systems

We provide guidelines & frameworks to researchers and practitioners seeking to build and deploy AI systems without theft and exploitation.

3 projects

Latest News & Features

DAIR is Hiring!

The Communications Lead will be a crucial member of the team, helping to grow and reimagine our communications for an exciting new phase of growth.

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