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Short link: https://bit.ly/A_Critical_Tech_List
Always looking for new resources. Please send to laura.czerniewicz@uct.ac.za or catherine.cronin.phd@gmail.com
Esp keen to include orgs and initiatives with Global South perspective
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List of critical tech organisations and initiatives
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This is a regularly updated list of critical tech organisation and initiatives, ones which are resisting dominant tech discourses, ones which are creating progressive tech worlds in various ways including local solutions. An earlier, non-editable version was created to accompany the #OER24 keynote by Catherine Cronin & Laura Czerniewicz: 'The future isn't what it used to be: Open education at a crossroads' (link to keynote essay here)
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Name of critical tech organisation or initiativeURLBrief description
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A Safe Harbor for Independent AI Evaluationhttps://sites.mit.edu/ai-safe-harbor/Policy changes for AI companies
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Against AI and its Environmental Harms
https://pad.riseup.net/p/Against_AI_and_Its_Environmental_Harms-keep
A list of work related to AI and its impacts on the environment curated by Charles Logan
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AI Ethics & Governance Labhttps://www.unesco.org/ethics-ai/en/labBrings together knowledge, case studies, good practices and current research
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AIAAIC (AI, Algorithmic, and Automation Incidents and Controversies Repository
https://www.aiaaic.org/aiaaic-repository
The independent, open, public interest resource detailing incidents and controversies driven by and relating to artificial intelligence, algorithms, and automation
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Algorithmic Justice Leaguewww.ajl.orgCombining art and research to illuminate the social implications and harms of artificial intelligence
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All Tech is Humanhttps://alltechishuman.org/Brings together people, organizations, and ideas to grow and strengthen the Responsible Tech ecosystem
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Alliance for Inclusive Algorithmshttps://aplusalliance.org/For a free, feminist and digitally inclusive future
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Artificial Intelligence for Development Africahttps://ai4d.acts-net.org/
A partnership between Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology in Ghana; University of Linkoping, Sweden; University Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Senegal; Regents of the University of California, United States; Research ICT Africa , South Africa; HUMA – University of Cape Town, South Africa and Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique.
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Association for Progressive Communicationhttps://www.apc.org/enOur vision is for people to use and shape the Internet and digital technologies to create a just and sustainable world
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Bot Populihttps://botpopuli.net/
Talking Digital Justice. An alternative media platform dedicated to looking at all things digital from a social justice and Global South perspective
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Bytes for Allhttps://www.bytesforall.pkA human rights organization and a research think tank with a focus on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs
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Center For Humane TechnologyCenter for Humane Technology
Dedicated to leading a comprehensive shift toward technology that strengthens our well-being, global democratic functioning, and shared information environment
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Centre for Internet and Societycis-india.org
Seeks to understand the reconfiguration of social processes and structures through the internet and digital media technologies, and vice versa.
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Chupadados
https://chupadados.codingrights.org/en/homepage/
Latin American stories about the massive collection and processing of data by governments, companies and ourselves to monitor cities, homes, pockets and bodies. English, Spanish and Portuguese
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CIPESA (Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa)
cipesa.orgFocuses on decision-making that facilitates the use of ICT in support of good governance, human rights and livelihoods
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Civics of Technologyhttps://www.civicsoftechnology.org/
The Civics of Technology Project shares research and curriculum and offers professional development that encourages teachers and students to critically inquire into the effects of technology on our individual and collective lives.
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Cradle Principles on Knowledge Governance https://infojustice.org/archives/45627Call for Information Justice in Research. Principles on Knowledge Governance Call for Information Justice in Research
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Data and Societyhttps://datasociety.net/Studies the social implications of data-centric technologies, automation, and AI.
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Data Science Africahttps://www.datascienceafrica.org/
A grassroots organization founded in 2015 to provide quality training in data science, machine learning, and other emerging technologies with the aim of leveraging these technologies for the development of solutions to African problems.
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Data Workershttps://data-workers.org/
The Data Workers’ Inquiry is a community-based project in which data workers join us as community researchers (DAIR, 2022) to lead their own inquiry in their respective workplaces.
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Deep Learning Indabahttps://deeplearningindaba.com/
Annual meeting of the African machine learning and AI community, with the mission strengthen African AI, and to ensure that Africans are owners and shapers of the coming advances in AI
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Derechos Digitaleshttps://www.derechosdigitales.orgDevelopment, defense and promotion of human rights in the digital environment. Spanish only
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Digital Cooperation Organisationhttps://dco.org/Working towards a world in which every country, business and person has a fair opportunity to prosper in the digital economy
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Distributed AI Research Institutehttps://www.dair-institute.org/
An interdisciplinary and globally distributed AI research institute rooted in the belief that AI is not inevitable, its harms are preventable, and when its production and deployment include diverse perspectives and deliberate processes it can be beneficial
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Equity and Access in Algorithms, Mechanisms, & Optimizationhttps://www.eaamo.org/
Aims to build a research community that places the perspectives and interests of marginalized groups at the foundation of algorithmic and resource allocation systems.
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Electronic Frontier Foundationwww.eff.orgDefending digital privacy, free speech, and innovation
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Emerging Technology Observatoryhttps://eto.tech/Creates free, high-quality data resources to inform critical decisions on emerging technology issues
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Fairworkhttps://fair.work/en/fw/about/
Fairwork is an action-research project that aims to shed light on how these technological changes affect working conditions around the world
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Fundacion Karismahttps://web.karisma.org.co/Ensures that digital technologies protect and advance fundamental human rights and promote social justice. Spanich only
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Gender and Responsible Artificial Intelligence Network https://grain-africa.org/en/We act with a focus on intersectionality and responsible AI policy.
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Ghana NLPhttps://ghananlp.org/Natural Langauge Processing of Ghanaian Languages & it's Applications to Local Problems
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Global Centre on AI Governancehttps://www.globalcenter.ai/Incorporates The African AI Observatory https://www.africanobservatory.ai/ and the Global Index on Responsible AI
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HE After Surveillancehttps://aftersurveillance.net/
A network of people whose work involves imagining and developing alternatives to problematic visibility & surveillance in higher educatio
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Institute for Local Self Relianceilsr.orgBuilding Local Power to Fight Corporate Control
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Instituto Nupefhttps://nupef.org.br/Nupef is a reference social organization in Brazil in promoting the safe use of information and communication technologies.
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Intaka Centre for Law and Technologyhttps://www.intaka.capetown/
A learning, teaching and research hub dedicated to exploring the legal, technical, ethical and social implications at the nexus of law, technology, innovation, data and society.
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Internet Sans Frontiereshttps://internetwithoutborders.org/Protection et Exercise des Droits de l'Homme sur Internet
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IT For Changehttps://itforchange.net/Bridging Development Realities and Technological Possibilities
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ITU Digital Inclusion
https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Digital-Inclusion/Pages/Reports_and_Resources.aspx
All the key resources made available by the ITU-D Digital Inclusion Programme to support ITU members in their efforts to empower all people to equally benefit from the opportunities offered by ICTs, and leverage these technologies to create a more inclusive digital society.​
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KoboToolboxhttps://www.kobotoolbox.org/A data collection, management, and visualization platform used globally for research and social good.
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Knowledge Centre Data & Societyhttps://data-en-maatschappij.ai/en/
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LAION (Large-scale Artificial Intelligence Open Network)https://laion.ai/LAION, as a non-profit organization, provides datasets, tools and models to liberate machine learning research.
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Lesanhttps://lesan.ai/Translation software into Ethiopian languages
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Masakhanehttps://www.masakhane.io/
Masakhane is a grassroots organisation whose mission is to strengthen and spur NLP research in African languages, for Africans, by Africans
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MENA (Middle East and North Africa) AI Observatoryhttps://menaobservatory.ai/en/home
Diversified regional network to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and advocate for impactful policies that shape the future of AI and data in MENA
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Observatório Educação Vigiada https://educacaovigiada.org.br/en
A network of people whose work involves imagining and developing alternatives to problematic visibility & surveillance in higher education.
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Open Archivehttps://open-archive.org/
Anyone with a phone can expose injustice. OpenArchive helps history's first responders safely store, verify, and share critical evidence. We conduct co-research, build tools, and create guides that advance human rights every day.
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Open Book Collectivehttps://openbookcollective.org A community-led Charity and initiative to support equitable open access book publishing that is not reliant on Book Processing Charges
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Papa Reohttps://papareo.nz/Enabling a sovereign digital future for indigenous languages
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Public Knowledge Projecthttps://pkp.sfu.ca/about/
Increasing public access to carefully reviewed and vetted research as a counterforce to the online rise of misinformation through open tools and research
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Research ICT Africahttps://researchictafrica.net/Accelerating digital equality and data justice in Africa
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Scibohttps://www.hochschulcloud.nrw/
Sciebo is a non-commercial cloud storage facility of higher education institutions for universities where you can securely store your data from research, study and teaching.
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Sula Batso Cooperativahttps://sulabatsu.com/The cooperative focuses on strengthening local development in the context of the digital society. Spanish only
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Superrr Lab https://superrr.net/about/ Mission is to explore and develop the potential of new technologies for society and diversity; driven by feminist values
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Tactical Techhttps://tacticaltech.org/Engages with citizens and civil society organisations to explore and mitigate the impacts of technology on society
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Tech Policy Presshttps://www.techpolicy.press/Seek to advance a pro-democracy movement in tech and tech policy
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TechGlobal Institutehttps://techglobalinstitute.com/
Promoting equity for the Global South on the open Internet, serves underserved communities around the world to take control of their digital rights and become decision-makers in the design, release and governance of technologies.
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Techworker Community Africahttp://techworkercommunityafrica.org/A collaborative and strategic endeavor to address the inequities faced by data workers.
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Thoth Open Metadatahttps://thoth.pub
A non-profit providing an open metadata management platform for books and chapters. Services to (semi-)automatically disseminate book metadata and content to a variety of aggregator platforms incl. the Directory of Open Access Books, OAPEN, Project MUSE, JSTOR, etc. are also available, and the Thoth Open Archiving Network provides small- to medium-sized publishers with automated workflows to transparently archive their valuable Open Access contributions to the scholarly community.
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Tierra Comun (Common Land)https://www.tierracomun.net/en/homeInterventions for data decolonization
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UNICollaborationhttps://www.unicollaboration.org/
Not for profit organisation training educators in virtual exchange for greater international communication and critical understanding in the use of technology
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