A broad coalition of philanthropic leaders today announced Humanity AI, a $500M five-year initiative dedicated to making sure people and communities beyond Silicon Valley 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 an AI future where people and communities can flourish.
Co-chaired by Omidyar Network and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, founding members include the Doris Duke Foundation, Ford Foundation, Lumina Foundation, Kapor Foundation, Mellon Foundation, Mozilla Foundation, Siegel Family Endowment, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
“The message I want to resonate far and wide is this: AI is not destiny, it is design,” said Michele L. Jawando, president at Omidyar Network. “There are no inevitabilities. There is no set future. Tech has incredible potential, but must be steered by humans, not the other way around. The future will not be written by algorithms – it will be written by people as a collective force. We are at a crossroads. The decisions we make now about who builds AI, who benefits from it, and whose values shape it will determine whether it amplifies human needs or erodes them. That future is ours to design.”
“Every day, people learn more about the ways AI is impacting their lives, and it can often feel like this technology is happening to us rather than with us and for us,” said John Palfrey, president of the MacArthur Foundation. “The stakes are too high to defer decisions to a handful of companies and leaders within them. Humanity AI seeks to shift that dynamic by resourcing technologists, researchers, and advocates who are united by a shared vision of ensuring AI is a force for good, putting people and the planet first.”
Humanity AI funders have identified five priority areas and committed to making grants within one or more of them:
- Labor and economy: Equipping workers with the tools to thrive amid AI-driven economic transformation vs. being replaced.
- Humanities: Protecting artists’ and creators’ work from theft and strengthening ownership protections for the people shaping our culture and society.
- Security: Identifying and addressing AI security risks across critical sectors like climate and energy, and holding those building and deploying AI to the highest standards to protect people.
- Democracy: Advancing and protecting our democracy, including creating transparency and accountability in the use of AI, promoting fair access to trustworthy information, and upholding free expression and civic participation.
- Education: Ensuring that the potential for AI in education is steered in the best interests of all students so that everyone benefits from its creation.
Humanity AI partners will begin aligned grantmaking beginning in fall 2025, driving new investments across their respective portfolios and Humanity AI’s areas of focus.
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) will serve as the fiscal sponsor for Humanity AI and will manage a pooled fund of grants. It will hire a small staff, starting with an Executive Director, who will focus on growing and supporting funder engagement and learning, helping advance the goals of the initiative. RPA will make grants from the pooled fund beginning in 2026.
The coalition will continue to grow, bringing in additional voices focused on the social and cultural impact of AI. Humanity AI welcomes and continues to invite new funders to advance its mission and expand its work toward building a society where people and communities have greater opportunity and agency to shape their lives by shaping AI.
Visit www.humanityai.ai to learn more, stay connected on the latest news, and find details on how to apply for grants.
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About Omidyar Network
Omidyar Network is a philanthropic organization with a mission to bend the arc of the digital revolution toward shared power, prosperity, and possibility. We engage, partner, and fund some of the world’s brightest thinkers and innovators to guide our digital future toward the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
About MacArthur Foundation
The MacArthur Foundation works on a few big bets that strive toward transformative change in areas of profound concern, including the existential threats of climate change, the challenges of criminal justice reform, revitalizing local news in the U.S., and corruption in Nigeria. In addition, we maintain enduring commitments in our hometown Chicago, where we invest in people, places, and partnerships to build a more inclusive Chicago and in journalism and media, where we invest in more just and inclusive news and narratives. We also make awards to extraordinarily creative individuals through the MacArthur Fellows program and for solutions to critical problems of our time through 100&Change.
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