Existing Approaches Exclude Communities
While more and more attention turns to including non-western cultures in AI systems and questions of data rights and data sovereignty remain forefront, communities and community knowledge remains a site of extraction rather than collaboration.
From not For
Global-South centric AI aims to close the gap in representation, but communities are rarely treated as equal partners in the process. Involvement often starts and ends with data collection.
Audience for tools
Even where communities are involved in the data, they are rarely the target audience for the developed tools. Techno-utopian visions dominate, and tools come with western UI/UX assumed.
Where We Come From
An AI of Our Own is an initiative of Living Arts International (LAI), a 501(c)3 registered non-profit with the goal of creating a peaceful, sustainable future with the living arts as a catalyst for change.
AAOO launched in 2024 after 2 years of research and concept development. Phase 1 completed at the end of 2025 with the development of 4 initial prototypes designed by UCLA students in collaboration with AAOO based on community data and perspectives.
Strategic Objectives
Human-Centered Data
Human-centered, culturally and contextually appropriate datasets that are stored, shared, and used respectfully, with ownership rights held by the community to whom they belong.
Mutual Respect and Learning
The development of empathetic and collaborative relationships between the tech and culture industries to improve understanding and awareness on both sides.
Practical
Tools
Practical, user-centric solutions that improve intergenerational transmission and cultural awareness.
Mission
We aim to reimagine communities as equal partners rather than data sources in AI, adopting a Global South–centered, ethically grounded approach. AAOO co-creates practical AI tools for cultural preservation and transmission, grounding innovation in continuous, on-the-ground community involvement.
Vision
A future where ethical, community-centered AI replaces extractive data models, advancing sustainable community stewardship of tools and data through advocacy, applied model development, and interdisciplinary research.
May 2025
Development of the initial concept note
Jun – Sep 2024
Landscaping Research
Nov 2024 – Jan 2025
Development of the Manifesto
April 2025
Manifesto Launched at Abu Dhabi Culture Summit
May 2025 – Dec 2025
Pilot Prototype Project
Jun-Aug 2025
Open Data Editor Testing
Dec 2025 – Present
Mozilla Common Voice Project
Based on information from a Delphi survey and multiple conceptual workshops, we held a collaborative workshop to refine an initial concept note.
The initial workshop identified the need to understand the existing landscape of digital heritage efforts in Africa and Asia as well as initiatives around inclusive AI globally. The final report outlined the need to define the methodology and approach of the AI part of AAOO.
The finding of the research led to the curation of a working group with people from diverse backgrounds to create the manifesto. They met over the course of 5 online sessions, from facilitated conversation to collective brainstorming.
In addition to a dedicated workshop on the Manifesto, we also presented a panel “Transmission by Avatar: From Oral to Digital Knowledge,” on the evolution of knowledge transmission and the role of AI in the future.
We co-developed 4 initial prototypes with UCLA students under the direction of Cindy Nguyễn from data collected with a community-centric approach, centering consent and mutual understanding.
Selected as one of 5 projects as the 2nd cohort piloting the launch of Open Knowledge’s Open Data Editor, particularly connected with ongoing pilot prototypes in South Africa and
Cambodia around gathering clean, community sourced datasets.
We are working with Mozilla Common Voice as part of efforts to develop a community-centered voice AI for Khmer and Dagbani languages in Cambodia and Ghana.