30 NYC-based Orgs Featured on our 500+ Responsible Tech Organizations List!
All Tech Is Human periodically features partners and friends from our 500+ Responsible Tech Organizations list. After the success of last week’s London-based orgs blog, we are pleased to feature 30 NYC-based organizations doing great work in the responsible tech field. Check out our full orgs list here. If you know of any additions, we want to hear from you!
If you’re based in the area, join us on March 15 for the launch of “More than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech” by Meredith Broussard, a Data Journalist, Professor, and Research Director at NYU’s Alliance for Public Interest Technology. The first 50 guests who show up after registering will receive a free copy of the book!
Link to register below. Special thanks to Project Liberty for their support and collaboration to make this gathering possible.
Access Now
“The entire spectrum of human rights are now enabled, facilitated, and accessed through the internet. Looking forward, we are prepared to address new technologies as they emerge, and to bring the implications for human rights to the fore. With the indispensable support of our partners, funders, and allies, we will fight to defend inclusive democracies, preserve spaces for civil society to flourish, and empower individuals to take control of their own information and identity in data-driven economies.”
Center for Social Media and Politics, New York University
“NYU’s Center for Social Media and Politics works to strengthen democracy by conducting rigorous research, advancing evidence-based public policy, and training the next generation of scholars.”
Digital Life Initiative, Cornell Tech
“We explore societal perspectives surrounding the development and application of digital technology, focusing on ethics, policy, politics, and quality of life.”
The Moynihan Center, The City College of New York
“The Moynihan Public Scholars Fellowship takes inspiration from Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s celebrated career, which traversed the academy, government, and the media. Moynihan’s scholarship was “public” in the sense that it informed his work as a public servant and provoked impassioned public debate. In this spirit, Moynihan Public Scholars will be chosen from among academic researchers, public service practitioners, and writers or journalists with a demonstrated ability for blending critical thought, political engagement, and popular communication.
Like Senator Moynihan, Public Scholars will pursue bold, heterodox ideas—especially ones that cut across entrenched partisan divisions—in service of the public good. Public Scholars will be enthusiastic participants in an intellectual community that serves City College, including yearly cohorts of Moynihan Undergraduate Student Fellows, and New York City at large. Through workshops and public events, Public Scholars will draw inspiration from peer fellows and luminaries in their respective fields, to catalyze and amplify innovative thinking on public affairs.”
SAFElab, Columbia University
“The SAFElab is a research initiative focused on examining the ways in which youth of color navigate violence on and offline. Drawing on computational and social work approaches to research, we engage in qualitative and natural language processing methods to understand the mechanisms of violence and how to prevent and intervene in violence that occurs in neighborhoods and social media environments.”
Center for Technology & Society, Anti-Defamation League
“ADL Center for Technology & Society is a research-driven advocacy center that works to end the proliferation of antisemitism and all forms of hate and harassment online. Our team partners with industry, civil society, government and targeted communities to expose these harms, hold tech companies accountable and fight for just, equitable online spaces.”
Integrity Institute
“We advance the theory and practice of protecting the social internet, powered by our community of integrity professionals. Our vision: The social internet should help individuals, societies, and democracies thrive.”
ForHumanity
"To examine and analyze the downside risks associated with the ubiquitous advance of AI & Automation, to engage in risk mitigation and ensure the optimal outcome… ForHumanity.'“
DataKind
"We are meticulously focused on bringing data science in all its forms to those who share our vision of a sustainable planet in which we all have access to our basic human needs. We envision a world where organizations tackling those problems have the same access to data science resources that Wall St. and Silicon Valley have."
Data & Society
"Data & Society is an independent nonprofit research organization. We believe that empirical evidence should directly inform the development and governance of new technology. We study the social implications of data and automation, producing original research to ground informed, evidence-based public debate about emerging technology.
We combine academic rigor with creative outreach to connect, convene, and sustain expert and practitioner networks. Since 2014, Data & Society has defined the field with original research and programming to break down disciplinary silos and connect provocative thinkers across sectors.
Our work acknowledges that the same innovative technologies and sociotechnical practices that are reconfiguring society – enabling novel modes of interaction, new opportunities for knowledge, and disruptive business practices and paradigms – can be abused to invade privacy, provide new tools of discrimination, and harm individuals and communities.
The work and well-being of Data & Society is strengthened by the diversity of our network and our differences in background, culture, experience, and much more. We are committed to ensuring that a wide array of perspectives are heard, and that our research is made free and available to the public.”
Youth for Privacy
"Youth for Privacy is a youth-led and youth-centered group advocating for privacy. Our mission is to raise awareness of privacy through education, outreach, research, and advocacy work. We want to re-conceptualize what it means to have privacy in this digital world.”
AI Now Institute
"The AI Now Institute aims to produce interdisciplinary research and public engagement to help ensure that AI systems are accountable to the communities and contexts in which they’re applied.”
Joan Ganz Cooney Center
“The Joan Ganz Cooney Center is an independent research and innovation lab that focuses on the challenges of educating children in a rapidly changing media landscape. We conduct original research on emerging education technologies and collaborate with educators and media producers to put this research into action. The Center also aims to inform the national conversation on media and education by working with policymakers and investors. Our programs address the literacies that all young students need to succeed in the 21st century, including reading, writing, science and math, and mastery of communications technologies. We are particularly interested in how children – especially those who are struggling – learn across both formal and informal environments, whether they are interacting with media on their own or together with teachers, family members or their peers.”
Civics Unplugged
"Civics Unplugged has built an ecosystem dedicated to training, funding, and connecting young people who are using new approaches to solving issues in democracy, climate, our lives online, and so much more.”
The DeepTrust Alliance
“The DeepTrust Alliance is a global coalition of stakeholders advancing the fight against digital disinformation and deepfakes. A 501(c)(6), DeepTrust is the only multi-industry organization using a network approach to create the standards to combat digital fakes.”
A.I. For Anyone
“AI will affect the lives of every single being on this planet, including you and me. The billion-dollar question is: what can we do about this?
One thing we can’t afford to do is to stifle the development and potential of these technologies. AI has the potential to do tremendous good for society and increase standards of living.
Rather than slowing the development of AI, what we should focus on is giving everyone a basic understanding of what the technology is, what impact it is poised to have on our society, and what they can do to best prepare for the changes to which automation lends. By educating citizens on AI, we are empowering them to be proactive and to have a voice in the discussions that will shape their future.
We strongly believe that education is one of our best remedies for alleviating the side effects of technological innovations. In 2017, we founded A.I. For Anyone to teach the fundamentals of AI to students and workers. Since 2018, we’ve taught over 1,500 students in New York City and over 55,000 people online. We’ve found that after students learn the fundamentals of AI through our AI 101 workshops, they are less fearful of the technology, more confident in their ability to deal with future technological changes, and more empowered to speak up when the technology has a negative impact on their lives.
Our vision is to see a world where each and every person has at least a basic understanding of AI. On behalf of us and the rest of the A.I. For Anyone team, thank you for joining us on this journey.”
Platform Cooperative Consortium
“Platform co-ops offer a near-future, alternative to platform capitalism based on cooperative principles such as democratic ownership and governance.”
Center for Responsible AI, New York University (Tandon School of Engineering)
“NYU R/AI aims to make Responsible AI synonymous with AI. We conduct interdisciplinary research, engage in AI policy and regulation, and teach different audiences about AI and its social impacts.”
WITNESS
“WITNESS helps people use video and technology to protect and defend human rights. We identify critical situations and teach those affected by them the basics of video production, safe and ethical filming techniques, and advocacy strategies.”
The Citizen Browser Project, The Markup
“The Markup, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates how the world’s most powerful institutions use technology to reshape society, today announced the development of The Citizen Browser Project—an initiative designed to measure how disinformation travels across social media platforms over time. At the center of The Citizen Browser Project is a custom web browser designed by The Markup to audit the algorithms that social media platforms use to determine what information they serve their users, what news and narratives are amplified or suppressed, and which online communities those users are encouraged to join. Initially, the browser will be implemented to glean data from Facebook and YouTube.”
#BlackandBrilliant
“Founded in New York, 2020 with the aim of challenging and eliminating the idea that far too many corporate leaders hold about the lack of a Black Talent and a Pipeline. Fast forward to today, and we’re a professional network, with hundreds of gifted volunteers working to advance Black and Brilliant individuals across the globe. We want to celebrate, inspire and connect by providing networking opportunities and supporting BIPOC/BAME communities – by advocating positive change into every boardroom.”
Black in AI
“Black in AI is a place for sharing ideas, fostering collaborations and discussing initiatives to increase the presence of Black people in the field of Artificial Intelligence.”
Technology and Rights, Human Rights Watch
“The internet and other technologies are critical tools to defend rights and hold powerful actors to account. But technology can also be used in ways that curtail rights and deepen inequality. We defend human rights in the digital age. We document how governments and companies restrict online speech and access to information. We investigate how digital surveillance tools, from hacking to facial recognition, are used to target activists, racial and ethnic minorities and workers. We expose the impact of AI and other data-driven technologies on the rights of workers and people living with poverty. We advocate for laws and policies that promote privacy, digital inclusion, and respect for human rights by social media platforms.”
Cyber Collective
“As a women of color-owned and operated organization, it is not only our passion but our best interest to center impacted communities in our efforts. We were founded in 2019 in response to a family member’s experience of being hacked online, and then we took on new life in 2020 when we learned that Black Lives Matter protestors were being tracked and targeted on social media. We know that technology users have misconceptions about the tools they use every day, and very few understand how their data can dictate their future. The lack of access to basic, understandable information is a barrier that prevents people, especially those who are marginalized, from fully understanding and mitigating unknown risks.”
Internet Law & Policy Foundry
“The Internet Law & Policy Foundry is a collaborative collection of early-career Internet law and policy professionals passionate about technology and disruptive innovation. The Foundry offers members a platform for professional development, constructive debate, and network-building within a cohort of skilled attorneys and policy analysts eager to help shape the development of Internet law and policy.”
Soliya
“We reliably transform communities, pairing the power of technology and the science of dialogue to activate meaningful change.”
Alliance for Public Interest Technology, New York University
“As the global center for research and thought leadership on the responsible and ethical creation, use and governance of technology in society, we leverage our multidisciplinary faculty, research, resources, and professional and community networks to collaborate with, and engage the university community, public institutions, public interest organizations, and community based organizations, to significantly impact the world’s current and future technology landscape.”
New_ Public
“New_ Public is a place for thinkers, builders, designers and technologists like you to meet and share inspiration.”
Just Tech Fellowship, Social Science Research Council
“The Just Tech Fellowship supports and mobilizes diverse and cross-sector cohorts of researchers and practitioners to imagine and create more just, equitable, and representative technological futures. Fellows will identify and challenge injustices emerging from new technologies, and pursue solutions that advance social, political, and economic rights.”
Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
“Our vision is to understand and address compelling questions regarding media’s impact on child development through interdisciplinary dialogue, public information, and rigorous, objective research bridging the medical, neuroscientific, social science, education and academic communities.”
“Project Liberty is a groundbreaking initiative to transform how the internet works and advance the digital architecture needed to put people in control of their data and online relationships, enable healthier social media models, and support a more equitable economy and society. Launched in 2019 by civic entrepreneur Frank McCourt, and announced publicly in 2021, Project Liberty has evolved from a bold idea into an independent nonprofit organization with global reach. It is leading the way in developing and delivering cutting-edge technology designed for the public good. It has firmly established a digital governance effort that is advancing new research; supporting practitioners; and bringing social scientists, policy experts, and impact leaders together with technologists to create much-needed frameworks for ethical technology. It is engaging public officials to raise awareness about the tools and opportunities presented by decentralized technology and a truly democratic digital architecture. It is also fueling a movement for change by connecting, supporting, and learning from existing efforts to shape and advance technology for the common good; raising public awareness about new solutions; and leveraging the strength of the Unfinished initiative, which informs and supports Project Liberty’s work, and its international network of 40+ partner organizations.”
