The Mozilla Foundation has established a new start-up called Mozilla.ai with $30m in funding to create an “independent, decentralised and trustworthy AI ecosystem”, focused on the development of AI apps and products. The community will be separate from Big Tech and universities, aimed at those who want a trustworthy AI ecosystem. Mozilla.ai, completely separate from Mozilla Foundation and Mozilla Corp., will be led by Moez Draief, an AI specialist formerly at universities in London and in business.
With the AI industry at a tipping point, Mozilla.ai is being established as a game-changer, similar to the graphical interface or the iPhone. According to Mark Surman, Executive President of Mozilla, the aim is to create technology with different values, incentives and ownership models.
As part of its social responsibility, Mozilla has also launched a responsible AI competition to invest $50k in selected responsible AI projects. The winner of the Responsible AI Challenge will receive a prize fund of $25k; a dedicated team has been working on trustworthy AI since 2020.
These technologies have ever-widening applications in our lives, powering “smartphones, social networks, online stores, cars, home assistants and almost every other type of electronic device”. Given these vast changes, the question of whether AI helps shape or exclude our future will have a significant impact on society’s direction.
