In June 2020, after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis (USA) and the solidarity that adopted as tens of millions spoke out at Black Lives Matter protests around the globe, I – like many others – mirrored on the scenario and the way our organisation might contribute. I then shared some thoughts round DeepMind’s intention to assist fight racism and advance racial fairness.
With different senior leaders at DeepMind, I frolicked listening and speaking to colleagues about how racism impacts peoples’ private {and professional} lives and replicates itself within the programs and buildings of our society. We additionally explored – and gathered suggestions – on how we might finest help racial justice within the communities DeepMind interacts with.
As we speak I’m happy to share one of many outcomes of that course of: placing assets straight within the arms of Black communities, to allow them to determine the place they want them most. Previously months, we made donations to organisations that play an important position supporting Black communities within the UK, US and Africa. Particularly, we’ve supported organisations who’re centered on influence within the AI/ML area, these supporting rising regional tech communities, and people centered on broader societal influence. These donations are unrestricted, that means every of those organisations can use the funds nonetheless they should, to speed up sustained influence.
Who’re we funding?
We’re delighted to help these organisations, and grateful to lots of those that have shared with us an summary of their work:
Black Cultural Archives
Black Cultural Archives (UK) is the house of Black British Historical past, located throughout the iconic Windrush Sq. in Brixton. Since its inception in 1981, they’ve turn out to be the main non-governmental and heritage institutional voice for the Windrush Technology, additionally main within the heritage sector for his or her work on workforce variety and interrogating decolonial archival practices. Their total mission is to gather, protect and rejoice the histories of individuals of African and Caribbean descent within the UK, inspiring and strengthening communities, people, and society alike.
Black in AI
Black in AI (USA) is a multi-institutional, transcontinental initiative creating an area for sharing concepts, fostering collaborations, and discussing initiatives to extend the presence of Black people within the area of AI.
Black Thrive World
Black Thrive World (UK) is a partnership between communities, statutory organisations, and the voluntary and personal sectors. They work collectively to enhance the experiences and outcomes of Black folks in psychological well being companies within the UK, in addition to deal with the social inequality and injustices that result in the disproportionately excessive price of psychological sickness amongst Black folks.
Knowledge Science Africa
Knowledge Science Africa (Kenya) is a grassroots capability constructing organisation that runs summer time colleges and workshops within the space of information science, AI and machine studying. Since 2015, they’ve run eight occasions in six international locations in East and West Africa. They’ve additionally begun a research award program to help African researchers and a visiting fellowship program to help analysis visits to DSA accomplice establishments.
Deep Studying Indaba
Deep Studying Indaba (throughout the African continent) helps Africa’s group in AI to be homeowners and shapers of Machine Studying. Their mission is to strengthen Machine Studying on the African continent. A method they’re doing that is by supporting AI communities via regionally organised IndabaX occasions, which now contains 31 IndabaX ML communities throughout the continent. These occasions have been one of the simplest ways to attach native ML researchers, engineers and lovers to share their analysis, innovation and present challenges. Final yr, they launched an progressive mentorship program and this yr they’re coming to the tip of 11 research tasks and wish to additional deepen their collaboration with Data Science Africa.
StopWatch
StopWatch (UK) is a coalition of lecturers, legal professionals, civil society organisations, and group stakeholders who goal to handle extra and disproportionate cease and search, promote finest follow and guarantee truthful, efficient policing for all. This contains authorized and coverage evaluation, media protection and commentary, political advocacy, litigation, submissions to nationwide and worldwide organisations and group organising.
Ubele Initiative
Ubele Initiative’s (UK) work is grounded in community-based approaches to growth, supporting Black and minoritised teams with their group belongings via social motion, enterprise growth, and next-generation management initiatives.
Efforts inside DeepMind
It is an honour to help these organisations and to have the privilege of highlighting their efforts, however we recognise that one of these help is just one small a part of the vital work we have to do. At DeepMind, we wish to construct secure and moral AI and deploy it in a approach that’s helpful to society, which requires holding ourselves to a excessive commonplace of fairness and equity in our analysis and inside practices.
Due to the dedication and fervour of many teams inside DeepMind, this pondering is shaping our efforts to enhance illustration in AI and to make sure a good and inclusive office.
It is also a perspective that, step-by-step, we’re integrating into our analysis programmes, fastidiously assessing our analysis for potential harms, making certain area for essential reflection by way of research and discussion on socio-technical subjects. We’re additionally usually reviewing inside hiring, promotion and mission project processes via the prism of fairness. Externally, our scholarship & mentorship programme, which helps underrepresented teams to pursue postgraduate examine, has expanded dramatically prior to now two years.
My deep because of everybody who has dedicated time, vitality and fervour to those efforts thus far.
