Looking to learn more about or engage with Mozilla Fellows and Awardees around the world? Keep your eye on the Mozilla Foundation blog to stay up-to-date with regular updates about these leaders and their work by reviewing the current and upcoming news and announcements below.

AI and internet health

Impacts to celebrate

• Responsible Computing Challenge awardee, #BlackTechFutures at Stillman College had their work recognized as part of White House initiative to advance public interest technology. Read more here.

News from current fellows and awardees

• How AI ehttps://foundation.mozilla.org/blog/the-average-brazilian-still-doesnt-trust-ai/xcludes needy from social relief grants — featuring Africa Mradi Research grantee Duduetsang Mokoele in Cape Times
• The Average Brazilian Still Doesn't Trust AI by senior fellow Tarcizio Silva
• A Gold Rush Worth Stopping: AI Does Its Part by the Amazon Mining Watch team, a Mozilla Technology Fund awardee
• New Documentary: In South Africa, an Algorithm Stands in the Way of Social Security by Africa Mradi Research grantee Duduetsang Mokoele
• Leveraging Satellite Data and Machine Learning for Air Quality Prediction in Africa — a profile of AirQo, a Mozilla Technology Fund awardee
• Challenges of AI in Maternal Healthcare: Lessons from Zambia by Min’enhle Ncube, an Africa Mradi Research awardee
• AI Training Can Undermine the Open Web. This Team Is Thinking Through Solutions — a profile of Data Provenance Initiative, a Data Futures Lab awardee
• Social Media Algorithms, Uganda’s LGBTQ+ Community Have a Complicated Relationship — featuring HER Internet, an Africa Mradi Research Awardee
• Creatives in Kenya Embrace AI but Wary of its Bias — featuring Creative Garage, an Africa Mradi Research Awardee

Alum news

• Will AI Change How Black Women Date? — featuring Senior Fellow alum Apryl Williams in World in Black
• Dispatches on Tech and Democracy: India’s 2024 Elections #4 — featuring alum Diviji Joshi in Tech Policy Press
• What We're Talking About When We Talk About Rural AI — featuring Senior Fellow alum Jasmine McNealy in Tech Policy Press
• On the cusp of a new dawn? Microsoft’s Kiswahili AI model to bridge tech inclusivity gap — featuring a Common Voice alum, Kathleen Siminyu in Business Daily Africa
• How to Keep Watch — featuring Senior Fellow alum Deb Raji in The Atlantic
• Not all ‘open source’ AI models are actually open: here’s a ranking — featuring Senior Fellow alum Abeba Birhane in Nature
• OpenAI’s new SearchGPT takes aim at Google in the battle for AI search dominance. But will it win the war? — featuring Senior Fellow alum Abeba Birhane in Fortune
• TikTok Lite Lacks Critical Safety Features, Neglects Global Majority Users — featuring Mozilla Technology Fund alumni AI Forensics
• An Antidote for AI Hype: Using Satire and Performance Art to Expose the Limitations, Injustices of AI — a profile of a Creative Media Awardee alum, Şerife Wong
• New App and Local Language Translations Improve Livestock Health in Kenya and Tanzania — a profile of Badili Innovations, a Common Voice awardee

Program Updates

• The Responsible Computing Challenge Announced First Awardees in India: Nine Indian universities will receive $25,000 USD each to embed ethics into their higher education computing curricula
• The Green Screen Coalition Announced its Catalyst Fund Cohort: The Green Screen Coalition announced the awardees for the Catalyst Fund, one of the first explicit attempts to invest in and support practitioners at the intersection of climate justice and digital rights.
• Mozilla announced RISE25 honorees. This year the honorees included former fellows and awardees: Stephanie Dinkins, Kathleen Siminyu and Deb Raji.
• MozFest House Amsterdam 2024 took place in June 2024. If you missed it in person, you can read all about it and watch some of the exciting main stage sessions that took place. We’ll soon be announcing the dates for MozFest House Zambia happening in November 2024.
• Mozilla Announced Judges for Responsible Computing Challenge in South Africa — Five experts in AI, computer science, engineering, indigenous knowledge, feminist studies, and human rights will select the next RCC cohort in South Africa
• Student Engagement & Responsible Computing at Indaba X South Africa — In July, the Responsible Computing Challenge team had the incredible opportunity to participate in the Indaba X event hosted at Wits University, marking a significant milestone for the team in South Africa.