Institute for Community AI Research (I-CAIR)

Overview

The Institute for Community AI Research (I-CAIR) is conducting a meta-analysis of data.org’s Epiverse program, particularly focusing on its work in Africa and Latin America to responsibly unlock data, create data analytics and AI products, and deliver training in data science and AI skills, paying particular attention to the way data.org considers the cultural and linguistic context of the communities it engages.

The meta-analysis will evaluate the effects of data.org’s projects on the ground, contextualize them with respect to the most recent scholarship, and ultimately produce an open-access playbook for how to responsibly adapt data-driven technologies among different regions of the world. The playbook will be made available on the data.org platform for organizations to use in data science and AI programs.

About I-CAIR

I-CAIR is committed to advancing ethical AI and data practices through interdisciplinary research, global collaboration, and a focus on social justice. Co-led by Prof. Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, Dr. Danil Mikhailov, and Patricia V. Tapia, the Institute brings together expertise from the social sciences, humanities, and AI. Our mission is to guide the responsible design and application of AI technologies by addressing ethical, legal, and cultural considerations at every stage of development, particularly in marginalized communities around the world.

I-CAIR strives to create innovative methodologies and frameworks for data and AI systems that prioritize transparency, community empowerment, and the equitable distribution of benefits. By partnering with international scholars, data specialists, and organizations like data.org, I-CAIR aims to foster a global network dedicated to promoting ethical AI, with a particular emphasis on culturally sensitive and locally relevant approaches. I-CAIR research will generate open-source tools, guidelines, and playbooks that help shape the future of AI for social impact. Ultimately, I-CAIR is driven by the vision of using AI and data to enable human flourishing, where communities have ownership of the technologies they help create and where AI contributes to the common good, fostering empowerment, inclusivity, and fairness worldwide.