AI & Co-operatives | Small Things

AI & Co-operatives Thursday, March 26, 5-7 pm, room KW160 with Andi Argast (Hypha Worker Co-operative)

Andi Argast (she/her) is a strategist, researcher, and facilitator, and a member of the Hypha Worker Co-operative. Her career spans nonprofit, library sciences, government, and education, including leadership roles at Girl Guides of Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science, and the Toronto Node of the Open Data Institute. Drawing on expertise in digital literacy and human-centered design, Andi works to bend the arc of technological development toward a more equitable future. Her recent projects focus on decentralized governance, and collaborating on responsibly developed AI for the cooperative sector.

About Hypha Worker Co-operative Hypha is a worker-owned cooperative and technical consultancy, partnering with organizations who seek out our deep knowledge and expertise in cryptography, decentralized governance, web protocols, and distributed ledger technologies. Our focus is on creative partnerships and the unique use cases of these emerging technologies. Working in solidarity with our global neighbours, we collaborate to imagine and create alternative digital futures. Website: https://hypha.coop/https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhypha.coop%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmatt.price%40utoronto.ca%7C967c3870769449c327d708de88df8ce3%7C78aac2262f034b4d9037b46d56c55210%7C0%7C0%7C639098690844356366%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=K2L%2FIIiFkY%2Bqaz4%2Bi0HEQWGdTCPeanbr161WGrIVZZQ%3D&reserved=0

About the talk In this talk, Andi will discuss the challenges and possibilities that tech co-ops are facing in co-designing other possibilities with AI. Among the co-operative’s projects are: (1) Rook: an AI agent that searches and synthesizes your documents without sharing your data with anyone; (2) EQTY Lab: development of verifiable computing systems for multi-stakeholder AI governance; (3) HEK (House of Electronic Arts): A decentralized community where art enthusiasts, technologists, and creatives come together to shape the future of media art.

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