An AI of Our Own (AAOO) developed the original Manifesto in response to an identified need to define its values and principles following the Landscape Research Mapping Project. That Manifesto was developed alongside a working group of six diverse individuals, chosen to balance both knowledge and practical experience in both technology and arts and culture, and was launched at the Culture Summit Abu Dhabi in 2025. The Manifesto represented the best of our knowledge at the time in a rapidly changing AI landscape and was intended as a living document to be adjusted as the landscape and our understanding evolved.
The Manifesto was used as a guiding document during AAOO’s pilot project in Q3 and Q4 of 2025, serving as a reference point for research and technological development. Over the course of this process, we discovered where the Manifesto fell short: where reality didn’t quite match aspiration, where assumptions led us astray, and where language or terms missed the mark.
In Q1 of 2026, AAOO developed a “Phase 2 Strategic Plan” to move forward the learnings of the pilot case, at which point it became a priority to update the Manifesto to match our current thinking, to communicate the learnings of the pilot, and to clarify the definitions that were assumed or left open in the original version.
The updated Manifesto is similar to the previous one in that it is primarily value-driven and contains a series of value statements as they pertain to AAOO’s stated goals and AI technology development. However, rather than focusing on a timeline or a how-to guide, this version of the Manifesto focuses on the gaps and learnings from the value statements themselves and the lived experience of trying to carry them out in practice.
The updated document can be read here. Thoughts, questions, or feedback can be shared to info@aaoo.ai.