What is the name of your organization?
The Users, a fiscally sponsored project of Aspiration
What is the name of your solution?
AI Literacy for Human Users
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
The Users is an online/live community of practice for underrepresented communities to learn, discuss, and influence the AI tools affecting our lives.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Oakland, CA, USA
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
USA
What type of organization is your solution team?
Nonprofit
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
The core problem is twofold: Underrepresented communities, especially in tech-adjacent areas like Oakland, lack 1) equitable access to and 2) influence over the design of AI tools that increasingly impact their lives. Our survey results in Oakland identified users' strong desire to learn more about AI from reputable sources. We have identified that AI resources and innovations could benefit people’s basic needs meaningfully.
A recent McKinsey research study (https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/a-300-billion-dollar-opportunity-serving-the-emerging-black-american-consumer) showed that Black consumers continue to be underserved in the basic needs of food, housing, healthcare, and banking by about $300 billion dollars. Another $159 billion of unsatisfied demand comes from LatinX consumers. We learned through a survey that most Oakland users are in need in 8 key areas that are linked to systemic injustices: labor issues, racial bias, accessibility justice, climate, healthcare, human rights, education, and privacy.
Most often, businesses do not make an effort to sit down and talk to individuals in low-income communities. So individuals are looking for culturally-relevant safe spaces to share their experiences within their communities.
What is your solution?
The Users is a culturally-relevant, online/live community of practice for underrepresented communities offering personalized educational resources, user experiences and promoting ethical AI through public participation.
The Users facilitate interactive activities and tailored content to spark community dialogue and tech literacy. Focused on underinvested communities adjacent to tech hubs, starting in Oakland, The Users aims to build equitable and emerging spaces most impacted by systematic injustices and unfair AI practices.
The core technology is an all-in-one consumer-facing software platform to communicate and search. Individuals select interest areas like economy, climate, health, human rights, privacy, accessibility, racial bias, and education; to guide their platform experience. Key features include:
1. A personalized discovery feed (text/audio/video) with user-uploaded and moderated content to advance tech literacy and inform culturally-relevant information.
2. A community board for open video / text conversation service discussions.
3. A public-driven tech ecosystem spotlighting ethical AI applications and tools with space for community feedback.
The Users will collaborate with nonprofits, researchers, policymakers and advocates to amplify ethical AI practices. We will be a conduit for technical researchers and businesses eager to connect with locals finding solutions that users can align to.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
While The Users will foster a community for everyone who is an end user, there is a critical need to raise the perspectives and concerns of the individuals often missing from tech and AI conversations. Our solution serves marginalized communities—especially Black, Brown, and low-income residents, who make up about half of Oakland’s population. It also supports local nonprofits, researchers, and advocates seeking thoughtful collaboration, and businesses seeking ethical user-informed AI feedback.
Our diverse end-users include:
1. Overwhelmed citizens eager to act but unsure how.
2. Curious individuals who lack access to the latest technologies or face language barriers.
3. People indifferent to AI, unaware of its daily impact.
4. Older adults skeptical of tech but open to learning fundamental concepts.
5. Tech enthusiasts eager to integrate AI into their daily lives.
6. Busy parents who are curious about AI but lack time.
This platform empowers everyday people to make more informed decisions on AI in ways that help meet their basic needs and build digital confidence in an AI-driven world. The outcomes for the end user are free access to educational resources, a community platform to share experiences, and a push for businesses to ensure equitable and fair practices.