A $2 million Societal Resilience Fund is being launched today by Microsoft and OpenAI to promote AI literacy and education among voters and vulnerable populations. Two billion people will cast ballots in democratic elections this year, making it more crucial than ever to give people the knowledge and resources they need to navigate the increasingly complicated digital landscape and locate reliable sources.
The Older Adults Technology Services from AARP (OATS), the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), and Partnership on AI (PAI) are just a few of the organizations that will benefit from fund grants as they provide AI education and support efforts to increase public awareness of AI capabilities.
The Societal Resilience Fund is a collaborative endeavor that carries out the public pledges made by Microsoft and OpenAI through the White House Voluntary Commitments and the Tech Accord to Combat Deceptive Use of AI in the 2024 Elections. Under these agreements, we agreed to collaborate with a wide range of international academics and civil society organizations and to support initiatives aimed at raising public awareness and promoting resilience across society. Our common objectives are to counter the increasing threat of malicious actors deceiving voters and undermining democracy through the use of AI and deepfakes.
Through the gathering of various parties involved in the production, utilization, and dissemination of artificial intelligence, Partnership on AI seeks to promote awareness, measures, and openness concerning the conscientious application of AI. We are eager to work with Microsoft and OpenAI in our ongoing partnership and to encourage accountability in order to make AI advancements better for society and for people. – Partnership on AI CEO Rebecca Finlay
One action that demonstrates Microsoft and OpenAI’s commitment to addressing the issues and demands in the field of AI literacy and education is the establishment of the Societal Resilience Fund. Tomorrow, May 8, 2024, members of industry and civil society, including executives from Microsoft and OpenAI, will gather at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) to talk about the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
Microsoft and OpenAI will remain dedicated to this work, and we will continue to collaborate with organizations and initiatives that share our goals and values.