About the Lab
We
see a problem.
Our communities face a stark reality: powerful technologies are shaping our lives without meaningful input from those most affected. Local governments with limited tech expertise, and companies focused on profits not people are approving systems that decide who accesses housing, jobs, and services—often deepening inequity and repeating historic struggles under a new guise. Promises of AI progress ring hollow as the benefits bypass us, while burdens grow heavier.
But here’s the truth we learned on the ground: Progress isn’t progress if whole communities are left behind.
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The Lab began in this tension.
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Community
is our
solution.
We’re building a collective of folks who have an opinion on how AI technologies are being positioned as a cure-all for long-standing challenges. We bring together technologists, community organizers, researchers, and everyday people to strengthen digital resilience wherever it’s needed. We are the people who live closest to the impact of harmful technology and the furthest from the conversations that shape it.
We're building community with:
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Seniors navigating new technologies
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Parents trying to keep their families safe
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Teens and young adults growing up inside algorithmic systems
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Workers whose livelihoods depend on automated decisions
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Communities disproportionately harmed by bias, surveillance, and digital exclusion
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Folks who feel overwhelmed by tech and want to fight for a future where they can thrive.
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Our
stories
hold the answers.
We’re collecting stories and other forms of data that can help use understand and share-out:
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What happens when a society centers technology instead of the lived experiences of its people?
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What does it feel like to witness our least-protected being forced to navigate technologies they had no part in designing?
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How are communities using cultural technology to identify and resist digital practices and platforms that perpetuate stereotypes, exclusion, or exploitation?
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Which communities have successfully advocated for technologies that uphold cultural dignity and equity? And, how did they do it?
What we're building
Digital Safety Assessments & Family Tech Plans
We help individuals and families assess online habits, identify risks, and create personalized plans or family tech policies that reflect your values and keep everyone safe and connected.
Harmful Tech & Scam Trackers
We collect community-reported data on nefarious technologies, scams, rage-bait content, AI-enabled manipulation, and disinformation campaigns designed to divide and destabilize.
Free Digital Literacy Resources
We're curating and promoting accessible, trustworthy tools that help people stay safer online, advocate for themselves, and understand how digital systems impact their material lives.
Community Classes & Workshops
From neighborhood trainings to multi-week fellowships, we're helping folks build the skills necessary to demand digital fairness, transparency, accountability, and inclusion.
Strong Community Organizations
We highlight organizations doing powerful work in critical thinking, media literacy, and tech justice—because digital safety is a community effort, not a solo act.
Why This Matters Now
The communities most impacted by technological change are frequently the farthest from the places and spaces where that technology is built. This gap—between those who build and those who bear the consequences—drives our commitment to helping families and communities build collective digital re
You don’t need to be a tech expert to protect yourself and your community. We’re here to learn, build, and grow together.