AI for Good: Harnessing AI to Keep Online Spaces Safe for Indigenous Communities

The project received global recognition and was named a 2024 Solver Team by MIT Solve

Amii is pleased to partner with pipikwan pêhtâkwan, an Edmonton-based communications firm that focuses on elevating Indigenous voices, truths, and stories. Amii is working with pipikwan pêhtâkwan and its startup company wâsikan kisewâtisiwin, to harness AI in efforts to challenge misinformation about Indigenous People and include Indigenous People in the development of AI. The AI tools developed from this collaboration earned wâsikan kisewâtisiwin a coveted spot on the 2024 Solver team from MIT Solve, a global initiative presented by MIT.

Amii is working with the wâsikan kisewâtisiwin team to develop two AI tools. One monitors online hate speech and bias towards Indigenous Peoples and the other, a writing plug-in tool similar to Grammarly, flags content that may be biased against Indigenous Peoples and provides factual information and context.

“Working on this project has been rewarding on many levels,” said David Chan, Product Lead, Amii Industry Team. “To share our AI expertise and work on such an impactful project is not only a values alignment of AI for good and for all, but also an example of the powerful outcomes and limitless possibilities of AI applied through an intersectional lens.”

“Amii has been a true partner throughout this project: recognizing our vision and supporting it with the AI technical expertise we needed to bring it to life,” said Shani Gwin, Founder and CEO of wâsikan kisewâtisiwin. “They are always listening, seeking understanding, and focused on seeing what is possible. Thanks to this positive collaboration, we now have a working prototype. Amii’s compassionate, respectful approach to this work has helped us gain a better understanding of AI as well as build our own technical capacity to carry this project into the future. We’re making AI more ethical, inclusive of Indigenous voices, safe for Indigenous Peoples, and ultimately, better for everyone. Amii has been, and continues to be, a big part of that.”

Gwin founded wâsikan kisewâtisiwin with the vision of creating AI from a matriarchal perspective to benefit humanity. wâsikan kisewâtisiwin’s AI tools support the goal of tackling hate speech and misinformation and help ensure this piece of critical infrastructure is built without furthering harm to Indigenous People.

This collaboration leverages the $3M investment from PrairiesCan to accelerate AI adoption in the prairie provinces and support 30 small and medium-sized businesses based in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba over the next three years. The funding will empower Canadian companies to embark on or accelerate their AI adoption journeys, driving innovation and growth in the Prairie region.

Amii in the News

CBC spoke about the project with Shani Gwin and Amii’s own Ayman Qroon, associate machine learning scientist. Watch it here:

• New tool aims to harness the power of AI to combat internet hate against Indigenous people - CBC Edmonton