BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//AI and Equality - ECPv6.13.2.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:AI and Equality X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com X-WR-CALDESC:Events for AI and Equality REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/Zurich BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:CEST DTSTART:20250330T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:CET DTSTART:20251026T010000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/Paris BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0200 TZNAME:CEST DTSTART:20250330T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:CET DTSTART:20251026T010000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Santiago BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0300 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:-04 DTSTART:20250406T030000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0300 TZNAME:-03 DTSTART:20250907T040000 END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20260329T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20261025T010000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20250908T150000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20250908T160000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20250813T074051Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250828T091333Z UID:10000003-1757343600-1757347200@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:The African AI & Equality Toolbox Launch DESCRIPTION:The African AI & Equality Toolbox is a strategic initiative designed to empower African stakeholders—policymakers\, technologists\, civil society actors\, and communities—to shape Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems that are contextually relevant\, inclusive\, and grounded in human rights. \nDeveloped in collaboration with Women at the Table and the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS)\, and adapted from the global Human Rights Toolbox Initiative in collaboration with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)\, this African iteration provides practical tools and methodologies to guide equitable AI development across the continent. \nThe Toolbox applies a Human Rights-based AI Lifecycle Framework\, integrating reflective questions and the Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) developed with the Alan Turing Institute. It emphasizes participatory\, multidisciplinary approaches and is rooted in feminist\, decolonial\, and Justice\, Equity\, Diversity\, and Inclusion (JEDI) principles and incorporates lessons from emerging digital rights challenges\, ensuring AI systems are designed with safety and dignity at their core. \n\nThis launch webinar will present the methodology and the process of development of the toolbox featuring the contributors and introduce the webinar series that focus on each stage of the lifecycle with the selected case studies. \n1PM GMT | 3PM SAST | 4PM EAT \nRegister here  \n  URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/the-african-toolbox-launch/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/AI-EQ-Toolbox-black-w-gradient-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20250911T170000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20250911T180000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20250816T104501Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250816T104501Z UID:10000018-1757610000-1757613600@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:AI & Equality Community Monthly Meetups DESCRIPTION:As our AI & Equality community keeps growing\, monthly meetups are a space to stay connected\, share our work\, and explore the latest in AI\, especially at the intersection of social justice and human rights\, while welcoming broader conversations. \nWhether you’re working on something you’d like to share\, exploring new ideas\, or simply want to listen in and connect\, you’re warmly welcome. \nCome meet fellow community members\, and help co-create this space. \nRegister to join our community on Circle.  \nExplore the AI & Equality Community events calendar  URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/ai-equality-community-monthly-meetups/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/AI-Equality.-Monthly-Community-Meetups.-Circle.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20250915T150000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20250915T160000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20250813T074500Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250828T091200Z UID:10000004-1757948400-1757952000@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:The African AI & Equality Toolbox Webinar 1: Introduction & Stage 1 DESCRIPTION:Across African contexts\, development and technology projects are often driven by external actors with little grounding in local priorities. Solutions frequently arrive pre-packaged—built around assumed problems\, rather than those identified by communities themselves. This is particularly evident in AI deployments in agriculture\, education\, and public health\, where tools may miss the mark\, or worse\, exacerbate inequities. \nThis webinar serves to explore Stage 1 of AI Development which is fundamentally a participatory and grounded approach which is crucial for centering gender equity\, given that women often carry the brunt of labor in agriculture and caregiving\, yet remain underrepresented in AI design and governance. \nThe African AI & Equality Toolbox is a strategic initiative designed to empower African stakeholders—policymakers\, technologists\, civil society actors\, and communities—to shape Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems that are contextually relevant\, inclusive\, and grounded in human rights. \nDeveloped by Women at the Table and the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS)\, and adapted from the global AI & Equality Human Rights Toolbox Initiative in collaboration with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)\, this African iteration provides practical tools and methodologies to guide equitable AI development across the continent. \nThe Toolbox applies a Human Rights-based AI Lifecycle Framework\, integrating reflective questions and the Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) developed with the Alan Turing Institute. It emphasizes participatory\, multidisciplinary approaches and is rooted in feminist\, decolonial\, and Justice\, Equity\, Diversity\, and Inclusion (JEDI) principles and incorporates lessons from emerging digital rights challenges\, ensuring AI systems are designed with safety and dignity at their core. \n1PM GMT | 3PM SAST | 4PM EAT \nRegister here URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/ai-equality-african-toolbox-introduction-stage-1/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/AI-EQ-Toolbox-black-w-gradient-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20250918T170000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20250918T180000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20250813T081347Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250816T110120Z UID:10000010-1758214800-1758218400@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:Open Studio | AI & Equality New Stakeholder Module | Emma Kallina DESCRIPTION:Involving affected communities – or stakeholders – throughout the development process of AI systems is key to our Human Rights-based approach. In this Open Studio\, Emma Kallina will guide you through our new stakeholder module. It focuses on the key aspects of meaningful stakeholder involvement\, including who counts as a stakeholder and when. \nBuilding on her PhD research at the University of Cambridge\, she will introduce different types of stakeholder involvement\, ranging from commercially-oriented practices to types of involvement that are suitable to achieve more responsible\, Human Rights-respecting AI systems. For the latter\, we will discuss the steps required for such involvement\, current bottlenecks and barriers\, as well as available tools that support this process. The main goal of the session is to equip you with the knowledge required to recognise stakeholder involvement that mainly focuses on commercial interests from the type of stockholder involvement that we need to advance more equitable and safe systems and help you to implement the latter in own projects \nRegister here via our Circle Community URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/open-studio-ai-equality-stakeholder-module/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Stakeholder.-Emma-Kallina.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Paris:20250925T170000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Paris:20250925T180000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20250813T084552Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250828T064035Z UID:10000012-1758819600-1758823200@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:AI & Equality Pub-Talk | Human Rights Benchmark for LLMs | Savannah Thais DESCRIPTION:We’re in the process of developing a Human Rights Benchmark for Large Language Models LLMS— a tool designed to assess how well these systems align with core human rights principles. \nWhy now? As LLMs become embedded in decision-making systems\, chatbots\, and public services\, we need more than accuracy—we need accountability. Our benchmark will explore whether these models treat all identities equally\, respond consistently to rights-based questions\, and avoid harmful omissions or bias. \nLed by Savannah Thais\, it is part of our core commitment: to build AI systems that respect dignity\, uphold equality\, and serve everyone—not just the powerful. In this Pub-Talk\, Savannah will present the process and methodology of the benchmark. \nRegister here via our community on Circle URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/ai-equality-pub-talk-human-rights-benchmark-for-llms-savannah-thais/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Savannah-Thais.-LLMS-Benchmark-.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251006T150000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251006T160000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20250813T075207Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250828T092111Z UID:10000005-1759762800-1759766400@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:The African AI & Equality Toolbox Webinar 2: System Requirements DESCRIPTION:In many African AI deployments\, system requirements are defined by international technical partners or funders\, often without fully understanding the day-to-day realities of use. This leads to design choices—like requiring high-speed internet\, English-only interfaces\, or complex interfaces—that make tools ineffective or even harmful. In this webinar we look at how requirement setting should function as a bridge between vision and use: Aligning system features with cultural context\, infrastructure gaps\, and social expectations; Identifying constraints early on—connectivity\, literacy\, consent\, power dynamics—and building around them and making conscious trade-offs between speed\, scale\, and equity. \n \n  \nThe African AI & Equality Toolbox is a strategic initiative designed to empower African stakeholders—policymakers\, technologists\, civil society actors\, and communities—to shape Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems that are contextually relevant\, inclusive\, and grounded in human rights. \nDeveloped by Women at the Table and the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS)\, and adapted from the global AI & Equality Human Rights Toolbox Initiative in collaboration with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)\, this African iteration provides practical tools and methodologies to guide equitable AI development across the continent. \nThe Toolbox applies a Human Rights-based AI Lifecycle Framework\, integrating reflective questions and the Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) developed with the Alan Turing Institute. It emphasizes participatory\, multidisciplinary approaches and is rooted in feminist\, decolonial\, and Justice\, Equity\, Diversity\, and Inclusion (JEDI) principles and incorporates lessons from emerging digital rights challenges\, ensuring AI systems are designed with safety and dignity at their core. \n1PM GMT | 3PM SAST | 4PM EAT \nRegister here \n  URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/the-african-ai-equality-toolbox-webinar-2-systems-requirements/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/AI-EQ-Toolbox-black-w-gradient-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251009T150000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251009T160000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20250813T082802Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250816T110053Z UID:10000011-1760022000-1760025600@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:Pub-Talk: Public Procurement Research Outcomes | Emma Kallina DESCRIPTION:Public procurement is a key lever for public sector bodies and governments to shape the products and services that are used by public sector agencies\, e.g. in education\, healthcare\, social services\, or the justice system. However\, this power is not yet sufficiently applied during the procurement of AI systems: recent research shows that authorities often lack an AI-specific procurement process or run into various AI-specific barriers. \nTogether with two colleagues at the University of Cambridge and in collaboration with AI & Equality\, Emma Kallina conducted a research project that aimed at demonstrating the exact levers during public procurement with which public sector bodies can exert their control\, as well as current barriers and bottlenecks that might hinder this process. \nIn this session\, Emma will present this research project\, its methodology and findings\, as well as what our findings mean for different audiences. \nRegister here via our Circle Community URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/pub-talk-public-procurement-research-outcomes-emma-kallina/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Public-Procurement.-Research.-Outcomes.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251016T160000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251016T170000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20250816T100611Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251013T161112Z UID:10000013-1760630400-1760634000@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:The Latin American AI & Equality Toolbox Introduction DESCRIPTION:We have partnered with the Chilean Centro Nacional de Inteligencia Artificial\, CENIA\,  to co-construct a Latin American Spanish language version of the validated Toolbox\, with use cases relevant to the regional experience.\nThe partnership builds on the learnings from the workshop structure and outreach from the African Toolbox.\n\n\nTranslating and adapting tools like the Human Rights Toolbox can facilitate the co-creation of a common vocabulary and common understanding on the specific needs and challenges of each region of the world\, unlocking informed debates about their visions for data with purpose and collaboratively finding examples of regional use cases of AI.\n\nRegister here URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/the-latin-american-ai-equality-toolbox-introduction/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/AI-EQ-LAC-logo.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251020T150000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251020T160000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20250813T075327Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250828T090918Z UID:10000007-1760972400-1760976000@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:The African AI & Equality Toolbox Webinar 3: Data Discovery DESCRIPTION:In many African AI projects\, available datasets are either imported (trained on non-African populations) or incomplete (lacking local language\, gender\, or cultural nuance). This misalignment risks perpetuating systemic bias under the guise of neutrality.This webinar will offer a deep dive into the Essential Questions of Data Discovery including a case study on the requirement for building effective TFGBV prevention datasets that include African languages.\n \n  \nThe African AI & Equality Toolbox is a strategic initiative designed to empower African stakeholders—policymakers\, technologists\, civil society actors\, and communities—to shape Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems that are contextually relevant\, inclusive\, and grounded in human rights. \nDeveloped by Women at the Table and the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS)\, and adapted from the global AI & Equality Human Rights Toolbox Initiative in collaboration with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)\, this African iteration provides practical tools and methodologies to guide equitable AI development across the continent. \nThe Toolbox applies a Human Rights-based AI Lifecycle Framework\, integrating reflective questions and the Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) developed with the Alan Turing Institute. It emphasizes participatory\, multidisciplinary approaches and is rooted in feminist\, decolonial\, and Justice\, Equity\, Diversity\, and Inclusion (JEDI) principles and incorporates lessons from emerging digital rights challenges\, ensuring AI systems are designed with safety and dignity at their core. \n1PM GMT | 3PM SAST | 4PM EAT \nRegister here \n  URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/the-african-ai-equality-toolbox-webinar-3-data-discovery/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/AI-EQ-Toolbox-black-w-gradient-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251027T150000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251027T160000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20251010T130206Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251010T130952Z UID:10000020-1761577200-1761580800@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:Open Studio: Steven Vethman | Reflecting on AI Equality Efforts: a collaborative\, critical inspection of actionable recommendations for an intersectional approach | Steven Vethman DESCRIPTION:Join this special collaborative Open Studio with Steven Vethman where we will critically reflect on AI Equality practices and research efforts. We will start from the foundation that equality or fairness in the context of AI should go beyond technological fixes and honor the lived experiences of systemic discrimination and marginalization. But AI experts have asked: how? What exactly can I do? \n\n\nBy using the richness of the concept of intersectionality\, rooted in Black Feminist Theory and Action\, we will dive into the opportunity to reframe AI fairness efforts to social justice. \nWith your help we can build on recent strides that analyzed the need and potential of intersectionality in the context of AI development (Ovalle et al. 2023; Kong 2022) and showcased what intersectional feminist machine learning can possibly bring (Suresh et al. 2022). To be precise\, we will use our recent work (Vethman et al. 2025) –  that provided actionable recommendations for an intersectional approach for\, with and by AI experts – as a springboard for this session. \nWhat is to be expected?: (A) we start with a short presentation on the setting and our recent findings\,  and (B) focus mainly on interactive exercises to collaboratively and critically reflect on these findings\, their usefulness\, what may be missing and what other first-step actions for AI experts could be. \n\nWith your consent\, any provided (anonymous) input will help steer our active research effort.\nAbout the speaker:\nSteven Vethman is a researcher at the Sciences Po Law School and contributor to the European project DIVERSIFAIR.  He is the co-author of ACM (FAccT) Conference 2025 Paper: Fairness\, Accountability\, and Transparency \n\nFrom 2020 to 2024\, Steven worked as a Researcher and Consultant on the responsible use of AI at TNO\, the Netherlands’ national institute for applied science. There\, he collaborated in interdisciplinary teams combining social science\, legal and technical perspectives on issues such as discrimination and accountability in AI—particularly within the domains of labour\, healthcare\, and the public sector.\nRegister here via our Circle Community URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/reflecting-on-ai-equality-efforts-steven-vethman/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AI-Equality_Human-Rights-Benchmark-for-LLMS_2025-3.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251029T140000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251029T150000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20250813T075518Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250911T091102Z UID:10000006-1761746400-1761750000@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:The African AI & Equality Toolbox Webinar 4: Model Selection DESCRIPTION:Imported or generalized models often underperform—especially when they are trained on data that does not reflect local language\, environment\, or lived experience. For AI to be trustworthy\, accuracy alone is not enough. In this webinar we dive into what inclusion and efficiency means ensuring the development or building of systems that don’t require technical expertise to interpret—ensuring that trust\, oversight\, and agency are accessible to all users. Whether a rural health worker\, a student\, or a community organizer\, each person should be able to understand what a system is doing and why.\n \nThe African AI & Equality Toolbox is a strategic initiative designed to empower African stakeholders—policymakers\, technologists\, civil society actors\, and communities—to shape Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems that are contextually relevant\, inclusive\, and grounded in human rights. \nDeveloped by Women at the Table and the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS)\, and adapted from the global AI & Equality Human Rights Toolbox Initiative in collaboration with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)\, this African iteration provides practical tools and methodologies to guide equitable AI development across the continent. \nThe Toolbox applies a Human Rights-based AI Lifecycle Framework\, integrating reflective questions and the Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) developed with the Alan Turing Institute. It emphasizes participatory\, multidisciplinary approaches and is rooted in feminist\, decolonial\, and Justice\, Equity\, Diversity\, and Inclusion (JEDI) principles and incorporates lessons from emerging digital rights challenges\, ensuring AI systems are designed with safety and dignity at their core. \n1PM GMT | 3PM SAST | 4PM EAT \nRegister here URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/the-african-ai-equality-toolbox-webinar-4-model-selection/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/AI-EQ-Toolbox-black-w-gradient-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251029T170000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251029T180000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20250816T104755Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250816T104755Z UID:10000019-1761757200-1761760800@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:AI & Equality Community Monthly Meetups DESCRIPTION:As our AI & Equality community keeps growing\, monthly meetups are a space to stay connected\, share our work\, and explore the latest in AI\, especially at the intersection of social justice and human rights\, while welcoming broader conversations. \nWhether you’re working on something you’d like to share\, exploring new ideas\, or simply want to listen in and connect\, you’re warmly welcome. \nCome meet fellow community members\, and help co-create this space. \nRegister to join our community on Circle.  \nExplore the AI & Equality Community events calendar  URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/ai-equality-community-monthly-meetups-2/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/AI-Equality.-Monthly-Community-Meetups.-Circle.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251112T140000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251112T150000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20250813T075642Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250828T090603Z UID:10000008-1762956000-1762959600@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:The African AI & Equality Toolbox Webinar 5: Model Interpretation DESCRIPTION:In African deployments\, there is often pressure to launch rapidly\, without thorough contextual testing. But skipping this step is where trust breaks down—and harm begins. Testing must happen with communities\, not just on them. In this stage we examine the opportunity to reflect on how power operates in AI:  Who gets to say if it works?  Who can question it? Who can stop it? \nThe African AI & Equality Toolbox is a strategic initiative designed to empower African stakeholders—policymakers\, technologists\, civil society actors\, and communities—to shape Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems that are contextually relevant\, inclusive\, and grounded in human rights. \nDeveloped by Women at the Table and the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS)\, and adapted from the global AI & Equality Human Rights Toolbox Initiative in collaboration with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)\, this African iteration provides practical tools and methodologies to guide equitable AI development across the continent. \nThe Toolbox applies a Human Rights-based AI Lifecycle Framework\, integrating reflective questions and the Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) developed with the Alan Turing Institute. It emphasizes participatory\, multidisciplinary approaches and is rooted in feminist\, decolonial\, and Justice\, Equity\, Diversity\, and Inclusion (JEDI) principles and incorporates lessons from emerging digital rights challenges\, ensuring AI systems are designed with safety and dignity at their core. \n1PM GMT | 3PM SAST | 4PM EAT \nRegister here  \n  URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/the-african-ai-equality-toolbox-webinar-5-model-interpretation/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/AI-EQ-Toolbox-black-w-gradient-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251119T150000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251119T160000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20250816T100802Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251113T111911Z UID:10000014-1763564400-1763568000@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:The Latin American AI & Equality Toolbox Launch DESCRIPTION:We have partnered with the Chilean Centro Nacional de Inteligencia Artificial\, CENIA\,  to co-construct a Latin American Spanish language version of the validated Toolbox\, with use cases relevant to the regional experience. The partnership builds on the learnings from the workshop structure and outreach from the African Toolbox.\n\n\nTranslating and adapting tools like the Human Rights Toolbox can facilitate the co-creation of a common vocabulary and common understanding on the specific needs and challenges of each region of the world\, unlocking informed debates about their visions for data with purpose and collaboratively finding examples of regional use cases of AI. \n\nRegister here  URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/the-latin-american-ai-equality-toolbox-launch/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/AI-EQ-LAC-logo.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251126T140000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Zurich:20251126T150000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20250813T075838Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251112T132139Z UID:10000009-1764165600-1764169200@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:The African AI & Equality Toolbox Webinar 6: Deployment DESCRIPTION:In African contexts\, post-deployment oversight is often underfunded or overlooked. Once a system is launched—especially by international actors—it can become invisible\, even as its consequences grow. In this final stage and webinar; we look at what true accountability means: planning for ongoing monitoring\, shared governance\, and the possibility of “no.” We will explore what it means for systems to be responsive—not just to data—but to dignity. \nThe African AI & Equality Toolbox is a strategic initiative designed to empower African stakeholders—policymakers\, technologists\, civil society actors\, and communities—to shape Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems that are contextually relevant\, inclusive\, and grounded in human rights. \nDeveloped by Women at the Table and the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS)\, and adapted from the global AI & Equality Human Rights Toolbox Initiative in collaboration with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)\, this African iteration provides practical tools and methodologies to guide equitable AI development across the continent. \nThe Toolbox applies a Human Rights-based AI Lifecycle Framework\, integrating reflective questions and the Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) developed with the Alan Turing Institute. It emphasizes participatory\, multidisciplinary approaches and is rooted in feminist\, decolonial\, and Justice\, Equity\, Diversity\, and Inclusion (JEDI) principles and incorporates lessons from emerging digital rights challenges\, ensuring AI systems are designed with safety and dignity at their core. \n1PM GMT | 3PM SAST | 4PM EAT \nRegister here URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/the-african-ai-equality-toolbox-webinar-6-deployment/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/AI-EQ-Toolbox-black-w-gradient-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Paris:20251204T170000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Paris:20251204T180000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20251109T212928Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251109T213035Z UID:10000021-1764867600-1764871200@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:AI & Equality Pub-Talk | Human Rights Benchmark for LLMs: Research Outcomes | Savannah Thais DESCRIPTION:We are advancing the Human Rights Benchmark for Large Language Models (LLMs)—a research initiative that examines how these systems align with core human rights principles. In this November Pub-Talk\, Savannah Thais will present the outcomes of this work\, sharing insights from the benchmarking process and highlighting what they reveal about the human rights implications of LLMs. This project reflects our commitment to building AI that respects dignity\, advances equality\, and serves all communities. \n\nWhy now? As LLMs are increasingly embedded in decision-making\, chatbots\, and public services\, it is vital to move beyond accuracy toward accountability. Our research explores whether these models treat identities fairly\, respond consistently to rights-based questions\, and avoid harmful omissions or bias.\nRegister here via our community on Circle URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/ai-equality-pub-talk-human-rights-benchmark-for-llms-research-outcomes-savannah-thais/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Savannah-Thais.-LLMS-Benchmark-.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Santiago:20251215T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Santiago:20251215T140000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20251203T092853Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251203T092853Z UID:10000022-1765800000-1765807200@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:Lanzamiento Curso Inteligencia Artificial y Derechos Humanos DESCRIPTION:Evento de lanzamiento del curso gratuito\, online y asincrónico “Inteligencia Artificial y Derechos Humanos”\, una iniciativa de Æquitas – Women at the Table y CENIA. \n \nEl evento se realizará el: \n\n15 de diciembre de 2025\n 12:00 a 14:00 hrs\nCENIA\, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860\, Macul\, Edificio de Innovación\, 2do piso\n\nDurante el encuentro presentaremos los contenidos del curso y su relevancia en el contexto actual. Además\, te esperamos con un coffee break de bienvenida para compartir y conversar. \nPara más información e inscripciones al curso\, puedes visitar: uabierta.uchile.cl URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/lanzamiento-curso-inteligencia-artificial-y-derechos-humanos/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/15dic-evento-images.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260219T150000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260219T160000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20260218T101917Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260218T105012Z UID:10000023-1771513200-1771516800@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:USAWA AI: Building Ethical AI for Historical Justice with Marie Rodet | AI & Equality Open Studio DESCRIPTION:  \n\nOpen Studio | USAWA AI is an interactive\, educational experience built around an AI avatar that draws on carefully mediated testimony from West African survivors of domestic servitude. Rather than recreating historical scenes or offering total explanations\, the AI is designed to speak partially and cautiously\, reflecting the ethical limits of testimony and the sensitivity of slavery. USAWA AI demonstrates how AI can be designed to protect vulnerable voices rather than extract from them\, embedding care and restraint into the technology itself. By foregrounding partial testimony and ethical limits\, it challenges dominant AI models that thrive for ‘total knowledge’ and ‘neutrality’\, showing instead how AI can support social justice and equitable representation. This work offers a concrete example of AI as an infrastructure for dignity and inclusion.\nExplore it: https://jiwegamestorage.blob.core.windows.net/game-files/Usawa%20AI/V4/index.html \nAbout the speaker: \nMarie Rodet is Reader in the History of Africa at SOAS University of London. Her work explores public history\, gamification and digital methods as ways of translating historical research into interactive formats that enable ethical engagement with complex and difficult histories\, and support equitable\, collaborative forms of innovation. She is the narrative and research lead on three educational mobile games—Usawa\, Usawa AI and Umoja—all developed in partnership with Jiwe Studios. These projects transform historical research into interactive experiences that foreground equity and ethical engagement\, and exemplify her broader commitment to research-led innovation and inclusive research culture. \n\nRegister here via our community on Circle URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/usawa-ai-building-ethical-ai-for-historical-justice-with-marie-rodet/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260305T150000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260305T160000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20260218T102325Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260218T105000Z UID:10000024-1772722800-1772726400@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:SafeHer: A Reporting Tool for Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence in Kenya with Lilian Olivia Orero | AI & Equality Open Studio DESCRIPTION:Open Studio | SafeHer: A Reporting Tool for Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence in Kenya. SafeHer is a reporting tool developed by SafeOnline Women Kenya (SOW-Kenya) that enables women and girls in Kenya to report incidents of technology-facilitated gender-based violence. The tool completed user testing with 36 participants and recently won the National Models for Women’s Safety Online (NMWSO) Safety by Design Award from IREX and the Gates Foundation. With the Google Play Store listing in progress and national scaling planned for 2026\, this is an ideal moment to receive community feedback on the reporting design\, methodology and implementation framework. Explore: https://safeherkenya.org/ \nAbout the speaker:\nLilian Olivia Orero is the Founder of SafeOnline Women Kenya (SOW-Kenya)\, where she leads the development of SafeHer\, a mobile app enabling women and girls in Kenya to report technology-facilitated gender-based violence. She holds an LLM with Distinction in Law\, Innovation & Technology from the University of Bristol\, where her dissertation examined how dark patterns on social media platforms enable gendered cyberbullying under EU Digital Services Act regulation. \n\n\nRegister here via our community on Circle URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/safeher-a-reporting-tool-for-technology-facilitated-gender-based-violence-in-kenya-with-lilian-olivia-orero/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/3.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260311T163000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260311T180000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20260303T133922Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260303T134024Z UID:10000034-1773246600-1773252000@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:CSW70 | When Algorithms Discriminate: Gender Bias in Justice Systems DESCRIPTION:Wednesday\, 11 March 2026 \n4:30 – 6:00 PM ET \nNGO CSW  \n10th Floor\, Church Center of the United Nations \n777 United Nations Plaza\, New York \n  \nAn In Depth Discussion: What happens when courts replace judges with computer algorithms? We are told these systems are “objective” and “fair”  but the evidence tells a different story. From bail decisions to sentencing\, algorithms are making life-changing choices about women based on biased data and male-centered assumptions. A woman seeking justice after assault may find her credibility automatically questioned. A mother may be flagged as “high risk” simply because of where she lives or her employment history. Meanwhile\, these same systems treat men’s violence as more predictable and less dangerous. \nThis is not science fiction\,  it is happening right now in courts worldwide. Join us to uncover how technology is creating new barriers to justice for women and girls\, and what policy solutions can effectively address it. \n  \nLaura Nyirinkindi | UN Special Procedures Member\, Working Group on discrimination against women and girls\nAfrica Regional Vice President of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (Federación Internacional de Abogadas) \nFernanda K. Martins | Fundacion multitudes\, Director of Strategy and Advocacy \nCaitlin Kraft–Buchman | Women At The Table; CEO \n  URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/csw70-when-algorithms-discriminate-gender-bias-in-justice-systems/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Designing-AI-for-Human-Agency-29.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260326T150000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260326T160000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20260218T102603Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260218T104946Z UID:10000025-1774537200-1774540800@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:Beyond the Math: Why AI Fairness Needs a Feminist Lens with Marie Mirsch | AI & Equality Pub-Talk DESCRIPTION:🔗 Access paper: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43681-025-00926-y \nAlthough research on algorithmic fairness is inherently interdisciplinary\, many proposed fairness approaches remain predominantly technical in their treatment of societal concepts such as fairness and justice. While these approaches often claim to operationalize insights from the social sciences\, they frequently do so in ways that appropriate rather than meaningfully engage with the underlying theories. This paper critiques this practice through the lens of intersectionality. Adopting a “calling in” rather than “calling out” stance toward AI practitioners\, it offers actionable guidance on how intersectionality can be substantively incorporated into technical work\, thereby recentring social science theory within the field of algorithmic fairness. \nAbout the speaker:\nMarie Mirsch\, M.Sc.\, is a research assistant and doctoral candidate at RWTH Aachen University. She conducts research at the intersection of mathematics\, ethics\, and social sciences\, intending to anchor diversity perspectives in technology. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on intersectionality in the context of algorithmic fairness – a central topic of current AI research. She also considers aspects of procedural fairness and participatory approaches\, such as including citizens’ perspectives. As part of her work at the bridging professorship “Gender and Diversity in Engineering”\, she also deals with ethical issues relating to using artificial intelligence in engineering. A Research Fellowship from the BMBF-funded AI Campus supports her research. \nAs project manager of the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) Hub at RWTH Aachen University\, she coordinates and implements national and international projects to strengthen social responsibility in technology development as part of the “ENHANCE – European Universities of Technology Alliance”. \nHer teaching activities include the seminar “Responsible AI for Engineers” at RWTH\, the online course “Responsible Innovators for Tomorrow” as part of the ENHANCE alliance\, and the workshop “Responsible AI” at the University of Koblenz. \n\n\nRegister here via our community on Circle URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/beyond-the-math-why-ai-fairness-needs-a-feminist-lens-with-marie-mirsch/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/4.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260409T150000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260409T160000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20260218T102957Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260218T104930Z UID:10000026-1775746800-1775750400@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:What People in Rural Villages in Togo Can Teach Us About ML/AI and Privacy with Zoe Kahn | AI & Equality Pub-Talk DESCRIPTION:🔗 Access paper: https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3710968 \nHow do people living in rural villages in Togo feel about the use of emerging technologies in humanitarian aid? This work reports on the privacy concerns of people living in rural Togo related to the use of machine learning models trained on phone data to allocate cash assistance to people living in poverty\, highlighting an innovative method — sociotechnical visuals — to explain complex technical concepts so that people living in rural villages with limited literacy\, formal education\, and familiarity with digital tech could provide meaningful input. \nAbout the speaker:\nZoe Kahn is a postdoctoral research at the Research Centre for Trustworthy Data Science and Security. She received her PhD in Information Science from UC Berkeley and her B.A. in Sociology from New York University. Her research lies at the intersection of computer science\, law\, and society. She explores how people can meaningfully participate in the design of sociotechnical systems — especially those shaping public life\, governance\, and digital rights. Dr. Kahn has collaborated with diverse communities across Africa and the United States\, including extended fieldwork in rural Togo. \nHer work combines qualitative research with creative methods such as storytelling and sociotechnical visuals to make complex technical systems more understandable\, opening up dialogue with people with varying levels of literacy\, formal education\, and familiarity with digital tech. Beyond academia\, she has worked at a civil rights law firm\, tech startup\, and Microsoft–where she contributed to responsible AI tooling and governance frameworks. \n\n\nRegister here via our community on Circle URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/ai-equality-pub-talk-what-people-in-rural-villages-in-togo-can-teach-us-about-ml-ai-and-privacy-with-zoe-kahn/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/10.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260416T150000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260416T160000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20260218T103240Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260218T104912Z UID:10000027-1776351600-1776355200@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:Beyond Automation: Protecting Student Voice in the Age of AI with Daire Maria Ni Uanachain | AI & Equality Open Studio DESCRIPTION:This Open Studio shares an in-progress Feminist AI–informed learning design framework that examines how power\, authorship\, and agency shift when Generative AI is introduced into secondary education. Drawing on classroom pilots\, design research\, and assessment tools such as a Student-Author Voice rubric\, the work explores how LLMs can be integrated through co-creation and gradual immersion\, rather than extraction or automation. The session foregrounds methodological tensions\, ethical trade-offs\, and policy-relevant questions emerging from real educational contexts. \n🔗 More: Finding student-author voice: a rubric for assessment in the AI era. \nEducational AI systems increasingly shape how knowledge is produced\, evaluated\, and legitimized—often without addressing whose voices are amplified or erased. This work matters because it applies Feminist AI principles to learning design\, offering concrete strategies to safeguard student authorship\, agency\, and equity while aligning with emerging AI governance frameworks. It contributes practice-based evidence to policy discussions on responsible AI use in education beyond compliance checklists. \n\n\nRegister here via our community on Circle URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/ai-equality-open-studio-beyond-automation-protecting-student-voice-in-the-age-of-ai-with-daire-maria-ni-uanachain/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260423T150000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260423T160000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20260218T103636Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260218T103716Z UID:10000028-1776956400-1776960000@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:Public Interest AI: Procurement as Democratic Infrastructure with Emma Kallina | AI & Equality Open Studio DESCRIPTION:Public sector AI has the potential to harm citizens\, with risks increasing as its use expands. Recent work positions public procurement as a way to shape public sector AI in line with public interests\, using the state’s purchasing power to influence which AI systems are procured and under what conditions. \nIn this presentation\, I explore how this potential could be realised in practice by drawing on semi-structured interviews with UK/EU buyers\, providers\, and procurement experts. More specifically\, I highlight six promising procurement practices that enable the public sector to shape AI in line with public interests\, alongside concrete mechanisms to support their uptake. These practices as well as derived interventions provide directions for both research and practice on how public procurement can be used as a governance mechanism for better aligning AI with public interests. \nThere will be time for questions and discussions – a lot of ongoing research to talk about 🙂 \nEmma Kallina is a PostDoc Researcher at the Compliant & Accountable Systems Group\, operating across the University of Cambridge and the Research Center Trustworthy Data Science and Security. \n\n\nRegister here via our community on Circle URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/public-interest-ai-procurement-as-democratic-infrastructure-with-emma-kallina-ai-equality-open-studio/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/9.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260522 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260523 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20260218T110002Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260326T130923Z UID:10000033-1779408000-1779494399@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:AI & Equality Festival of Ideas DESCRIPTION:Where the frontlines meet the code.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAlgorithms are deciding who gets bail\, who gets a loan\, whose language gets spoken by machines\, whose body gets flagged at the border\, and whose labor gets automated.\n\n\n\n\nThe AI & Equality Festival of Ideas will convene the people working with algorithms; linguists building language models for African languages\, feminist scholars rewriting the benchmarks\, digital rights lawyers fighting surveillance states\, health researchers exposing algorithmic bias in clinical care\, and organizers connecting the dots between AI\, labor\, climate\, and indigenous land rights. \nOn May 22\, leading organisations will be sharing out loud\, across disciplines\, about what they are finding\, what they are fighting to create\, and what it will actually take to get there. \n\n\n\n\n\n\nStay tuned for more updates!  Visit the Festival Page!  \n\n\n\nOn the Agenda: A full day of 90-minute sessions hosted by leading organizations working at the frontlines of AI and society from around the world.\n\n\n\n\nSessions running across all time zones\, from South Asia to the Pacific Coast. Wherever you are\, there’s a session for you covering the questions that matter most: \n\nWhat are visions of society that work for all\, and how do we build it?\nWhose knowledge gets encoded — and whose gets erased?\nWhat would a rights-based\, feminist\, decolonial\, AI actually look like?\nHow do we get from research to real change?\n\n\n\nFull programme drops April 15. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister on our Circle community >> where the festival will be happening!  URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/ai-equality-festival-of-ideas/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/AIEQ-Festival-of-ideas-02-1-scaled.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260604T150000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260604T160000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20260218T103914Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260218T104550Z UID:10000029-1780585200-1780588800@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:Funding AI for Good: A Call for Meaningful Engagement with Hongjin Lin | AI & Equality Pub-Talk DESCRIPTION:🔗 Access paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.12455 \nArtificial Intelligence for Social Good (AI4SG) is a growing area that explores AI’s potential to address social issues\, such as public health. Yet prior work has shown limited evidence of its tangible benefits for intended communities\, and projects frequently face inadequate community engagement and sustainability challenges. While existing literature on AI4SG initiatives primarily focuses on the mechanisms of funded projects and their outcomes\, much less attention has been given to the funding agenda and rhetoric that influences downstream approaches. \nThrough a thematic analysis of 35 funding documents — representing about $410 million USD in total investments\, we reveal dissonances between AI4SG’s stated intentions for positive social impact and the techno-centric approaches that some funding agendas promoted\, while also identifying funding documents that scaffolded community-collaborative approaches for applicants. Drawing on our findings\, we offer recommendations for funders to embed approaches that balance both contextual understanding and technical capacities in future funding call designs. We further discuss how the HCI community can positively shape AI4SG funding design processes. \nSpeaker: Hongjin Lin \nHongjin is a Ph.D. Candidate in Computer Science at Harvard University\, advised by Professor Krzysztof Gajos. Her research lies at the intersection of AI and social impact\, through both qualitative evaluation and technology development. Her work reveals power imbalances in AI for social good partnerships\, where community organizations’ goals are often sidelined\, and funding agendas play a prevalent role in determining project priorities and approaches. Drawing on community-collaborative design approaches\, she is currently working on projects that support participation in local collective climate actions. \n\nHongjin was born and raised in Guangzhou\, China\, and moved to the US for her undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Computer Science at Occidental College. She received her master’s degree in Data Science from the London School of Economics. Before Harvard\, she worked as a research fellow at Stanford Law School\, developing and evaluating Machine Learning systems for environmental policy enforcement in partnership with the EPA. Outside of research\, she has completed projects with nonprofits in China\, the US\, and Malawi\, and worked as a data for development intern at UNDP in New York and Costa Rica. She is a dedicated yogi\, dancer\, community-living member\, and a happy camper whenever she is away from her computer.\nMore: https://sites.google.com/g.harvard.edu/hongjinlin\n\n\nRegister here via our community on Circle URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/funding-ai-for-good-a-call-for-meaningful-engagement-with-hongjin-lin-ai-equality-pub-talk/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/7.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260618T150000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260618T160000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20260218T104221Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260218T104221Z UID:10000030-1781794800-1781798400@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:Hidden Inequality: Why We Need to Talk About AI in the Global South with Renata Frade | AI & Equality Open Studio DESCRIPTION:Artificial Intelligence systems increasingly shape social participation\, labor\, visibility and access to rights. However\, the social impacts of AI are uneven\, often reinforcing existing inequalities — particularly for women and communities in the Global South. \nThis 30-minute talk is grounded in two complementary research trajectories:\n(1) extensive digital ethnography with 247 women-led technology communities\, focused on platforms\, communication\, participation and power (not AI-specific)\, and (2) parallel academic studies on AI\, inequality and the Global South\, examining how automated systems interact with structural asymmetries\, governance gaps and cultural contexts. \nRather than presenting a technical or proprietary AI framework\, the talk offers critical insights and reflective lenses on how AI becomes socially invisible\, how inequality is reproduced through discourse and design\, and why communication is central to a human-rights-based approach to AI. \nKey Themes:\n\nWhat Platform Research Reveals About Power and Visibility\nInsights from digital ethnography with 247 women-led tech communities\nPatterns of participation\, exclusion and symbolic inclusion in digital platforms\nWhy these dynamics matter when AI is introduced into social and institutional systems\nAI and Inequality from a Global South Perspective\nFindings from research on AI\, gender and structural inequality in the Global South\nAsymmetries in data\, labor\, governance and technological dependency\nThe risks of applying “universal” AI solutions without contextual grounding\nCommunication as a Human Rights Issue in AI Systems\nHow language\, interfaces and narratives shape accountability\nWhy transparency alone is insufficient without accessibility and participation\nThe role of critical literacy in rights-based AI approaches\n\n\n🔗 Explore publication: Frade\, R.\, Wajcman\, J. (2023). “Feminism and Technology: an interview with Dr. Judy Wajcman by Renata Frade”. In Technofeminism: multi and transdisciplinary contemporary views of women in technology.  https://doi.org/10.48528/0wyd-p294 \nAbout the speaker:\nI am an interdisciplinary feminist researcher with deep experience in advancing feminist\, decolonial\, and participatory ethics in technology\, particularly across Latin American and Lusophone contexts. My doctoral research mapped and analyzed 247 communities of women in technology in Brazil and Portugal\, applying participatory and justice-oriented methods designed to center marginalized voices—often those of adolescents and youth in vulnerable contexts. Through projects such as Fiocruz Hack Girls and the LitGirlsBr platform\, I have engaged directly with adolescent participants\, developing empowering digital literacy and inclusion programs.\n\nI have acted as co-editor and lead organizer for several transnational research outputs\, including the collective volume “Technofeminism” and global solidarity events like the WeColloquium at ISEG\, Lisbon. My work always seeks to foreground community voices\, relational ethics\, and participatory decision-making\, including direct experience with reviewing and designing ethical frameworks for HCI and responsible AI\, both within and outside formal IRB structures. Noted for mapping and empowering women-in-tech communities\, producing influential feminist research\, and engaging in ethics\, justice\, and participatory action.\n\nExperienced in editorial leadership\, transmedia projects\, and collective knowledge-making in both academic and NGO settings (such as Girls in Tech Brazil).\n\n\n\nRegister here via our community on Circle URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/hidden-inequality-why-we-need-to-talk-about-ai-in-the-global-south-with-renata-frade-ai-equality-open-studio/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/8.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260625T150000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260625T160000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20260218T104436Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260218T104436Z UID:10000031-1782399600-1782403200@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:Testing AI Safety: Why Current Guardrails Fail to Stop Social Bias with Anna-Maria Gueorgiueva | AI & Equality Pub-Talk DESCRIPTION:Access paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.19238 \nHow do large language models understand the lived experiences of stigmatized groups\, and when does this understanding differ from the human perspective? Can this lead to bias\, and if so\, do our existing safety tools help mitigate such bias? This work investigated open-source language models for bias against 93 stigmatized groups\, identifying that specific types of biases (especially those deemed by humans to be ‘threatening’ such as having HIV or a criminal record) experience significantly more bias than other types of stigmatized identities. To attempt to remedy this\, we test guardrail models\, models from leading technology companies that are meant to identify discriminatory or bias-eliciting inputs and mitigate harmful outputs. This talk will report on our findings\, identifying where existing guardrail models fail and discussing technical and legal solutions. \nAbout the speaker:\nAnna-Maria Gueorguieva is a PhD student at the University of Washington Information School and holds B.A. in Data Science and Legal Studies from UC Berkeley. Her research focuses on AI evaluations for social and political impacts and AI regulation. Her work lies at the intersection of empirical methods to investigate AI usage and behavior in combination with the necessary AI regulations needed to limit and remedy harm.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegister here via our community on Circle URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/testing-ai-safety-why-current-guardrails-fail-to-stop-social-bias-with-anna-maria-gueorgiueva-ai-equality-pub-talk/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/6.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260630T150000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260630T160000 DTSTAMP:20260406T163000 CREATED:20260218T104809Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260218T104836Z UID:10000032-1782831600-1782835200@aiequalitytoolbox.com SUMMARY:Moving Beyond Big Tech: Blueprints for Community-Led Language AI with Claudia Pozo | AI & Equality Pub-Talk DESCRIPTION:Paper: TBD (available in June) \nThe digital world suffers from a profound linguistic disparity\, particularly in Africa where a lack of local language content and traditional\, Global North-led language technology models fail to meet community needs\, often resulting in data extraction and inequitable solutions. In an 18-month research project\, in collaboration with the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR)\, we highlight a powerful alternative: a growing grassroots movement of community-based language technology initiatives across Africa that adopt a bottoms-up approach\, prioritizing local needs and incorporating indigenous philosophies. This approach centers technology as an act of collective creation and community survival\, yet it faces significant challenges\, including a heavy reliance on Global North funding that can conflict with goals for self-determination and critical concerns around data governance and ownership in regions with underdeveloped legal frameworks. Ultimately\, the research advocates for a fundamental shift in technological practice to support these community-centered development models\, providing blueprints for the Global Majority to decolonize AI. \nAbout the speaker:\nClaudia Pozo is Language Justice Co-Lead at Whose Knowledge? She’s a South American brown feminist\, multifaceted activist\, researcher\, social scientist and strategist\, whose work is grounded in knowledge and language justice. She holds an MPhil in Development Studies and a BA in Communications. \n\n\nRegister here via our community on Circle URL:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/event/moving-beyond-big-tech-blueprints-for-community-led-language-ai-with-claudia-pozo-ai-equality-pub-talk/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://aiequalitytoolbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/5.png END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR