The Users - Economy

Non-profit.

I checked the “other” box to clearly note that I am in the final process of gaining my 501c3 through a fiscal sponsor.

AI is increasingly becoming a part of our everyday lives. Many businesses are turning to tools to save time and make better-informed decisions. But a majority of end users are hesitant—a lack of guardrails, transparency, and safety makes trusting an AI service seem risky and intimidating. 

End users feel they are the bystanders in the race to develop and deploy AI. If AI is not going away, how can we work to understand and use AI to solve for the systemic injustices? How can we envision our future with AI?

In AI, some groups worldwide are underrepresented in the evidence-making decisions that affect people's lives. While The Users non-profit will foster a community for everyone who is an end user, there is a critical need to raise the perspectives and concerns of the individuals often missing from tech and AI conversations. The Users aims to bring a much-needed equity lens in the emerging AI sector with a focus first centered on underinvested communities adjacent to tech hubs to close the racial/equity gap, starting in Oakland CA.

A McKinsey research shows Black consumers continue to be underserved in specific areas like food, housing, healthcare, and banking, reaching $300 billion dollars. There’s another $159 billion in unsatisfied demand with LatinX. These users tend to be ignored by emerging technologies. I learned that most users are in need in 8 key areas that are linked to systemic injustices: labor issues, racial bias, accessibility justice, climate, healthcare, human rights, education, and privacy. 

With increasing distrust in AI, the next generation seeks to be brand loyal to businesses committed to socio and environmental issues. Today, users turn to apps geared toward their specific interests and to like-minded influencers and communities for product recommendations and reviews. The social part of social media is migrating to smaller platforms, according to TheFutureParty. With the increased emphasis on peer recommendations and user feedback, it's essential for businesses to engage with local communities and support the causes the users care about. Overall, by facilitating meaningful connections, users can drive positive change.

It is a three-part social app centered around AI:

• 1. Community forum. End users, researchers, and businesses will join discussions on labor, climate, health, human rights, privacy, accessibility, racial bias, and education in the context of AI. This open dialogue will foster trust between brands and consumers, and provide a valuable window into the user’s concerns, hopes, and questions. 

• 2. Tech literacy. End users will be exposed to current news, educational resources, and user-generated content about AI standards. 

• 3. Tech ecosystem. End users will discover ethical AI applications and tools and share their experiences through short video and audio content.

In AI, some groups worldwide are underrepresented in the evidence-making decisions that affect people's lives. Furthermore, Black Americans are geographically removed from future job growth centers and more likely to be concentrated in areas of job decline. The User's target audience will be centered in underinvested communities (starting in Oakland, CA) adjacent to tech hubs to create equitable and emerging spaces most impacted by systematic injustices and unfair practices. The adjacent tech hub, San Francisco, is #1 in the U.S. for AI and has a market cap that is 4x more extensive than the rest of the U.S. combined. (SF Standard) Nationally, the poverty rate remains stagnant while technology innovations have leaped.

The system in Oakland is broken. We've seen our neighbors displaced, an increased loss of jobs, dilapidated buildings, food deserts, an increase in the school-to-prison pipeline, and poor health care. 

It was only 40 years ago that nearly half of all Oakland's population was Black. Oakland, the birthplace of the Black Panther movement, has only 21.8% of residents who identified as Black in the 2020 U.S. census. There's a mass exodus of Black Americans due to high rents and affordable housing that is unattainable and ignited by high-income tech roles in Silicon Valley. According to the Guardian, If trends continue in the next 15 years, the Black population could decline to a mere 16%. Approximately 48% of Oakland identifies as Black and Latinx, with a median income of $40,044. However, Oakland is the nation's 4th most expensive rental market, and many of these families are at or below the poverty level. The recent EDD Labor Market Information Division data shows S.F. at 3.6% and Oakland at a 4.7% unemployment rate. Nationally, more than 4 in 10 people expressed enrollment difficulties with social services like food stamps, unemployment insurance, and welfare benefits who sought help meeting basic needs. This number increases with the LatinX community due to a language barrier. (Urban Institute)

We are fighting for our values of dignity. AI applications that could help improve federal program experiences and basic needs would be a significant step toward getting more individuals the financial support they need. This program focused on economic prosperity can impact their lives by helping sustain their community economy better.

Many people need help to confidently balance a checking account, use stocks, file taxes, and save money. What good is an AI tool or smart appliance if people cannot afford it or need help understanding how to use it effectively? The solution would focus on AI tools that can make a difference in the everyday needs and lives of the community. We want to see spaces like Oakland, where an increasing number of marginalized and impoverished people live, thrive, and grow, become equitable and emerging spaces. 

To do that good, AI companies have to appeal to end users—specifically, those who belong to the underserved and underinvested communities most affected by the systemic injustices A.I. could perpetuate.

I am a creative, author, activist, and business owner here in Oakland, CA. I've made Oakland my home for the past 13 years, participating in community activities and watching the culture thrive as well as disintegrate amongst many economic patterns.

In 2020, I wrote a book called, "Black Binder, A Notebook for Activists and Accomplices." I wanted people to understand more about the Black cultural experience and make positive changes within their communities. Designed like a notebook, I encouraged users to become the change they want to see, challenging issues and responding to the system.

Previously, I was the Senior Design Manager at a self-driving technology company, where I managed a team and told complex stories on topics including AI, safety, and product development through visual design. Along the way, I co-led and co-founded the Employee Resource Group Fighting Bias in AI.

I'm also set to participate in Aspen Tech's Policy Hub one-week Writing for Policy course at the end of April to help build my communication skills to address policymakers in supporting economic action regionally and nationally. This course provides policy-making experience to be a conduit for end users, researchers, nonprofits, businesses, and policymakers to find common ground.

With my marketing and social experience from AI tech companies and activist work in community organizing, I am uniquely positioned to deliver The Users' solution. My experience provides a welcoming environment for users to find community, the strategic resources to engage and inform different audience groups through product design and brand storytelling, and people management and business skills to scale the product and team beyond Oakland to other underinvested tech hubs.

I have developed a prototype and am using it to initiate thoughtful discussions within the community. The input of the end users is critical as we build the platform together. Currently, the app uses beta testers that provide feedback on each prototype update before the official public launch. 

Our research journey began with building organic community power by observing and listening to community voices and behaviors. I’ve also been conducting interviews and surveys to gather insights and community needs. These opportunities have been instrumental in shaping the product and providing valuable insights to engage users while bringing in multiple voices.

I have set up the landing page with a call-to-action to a sign-up form to be on the waitlist for launch. 

I have begun conversations and developing strategies with potential partner collaborations. We're seeking a community of advocates to support in co-designing the app experience, observe and identify user patterns, host events and workshops, and share resources.

Within the next phase, we plan to launch to the Oakland community alongside program activities to:

• drive public participation

• capture stories and user experiences

• address bias

• and find solutions to support system-impacted individuals reimagining our future with AI. 

Within the next phase, the end users will begin to:

• learn about how they perceive trust with brands

• learn how they interact and receive information

• understand how they choose to experience emerging technologies

• and learn an introduction to AI basics

The MIT Solve Challenge program's values align with our mission to simultaneously break down systemic injustices in AI and build consumer trust in AI innovations through a fostered community of users, businesses, policymakers, and researchers. I'm passionate about pursuing the MIT Solve Challenge, a program that challenges the injustices of tech and its risks while seeking to improve its social impact on the community through responsible AI systems. To be a part of the accelerator program would also offer:

• a substantial opportunity for potential partnerships
• a network of like-minded leaders with diverse perspectives
• the brand positioning to promote public participation in community dialogue from diverse perspectives
• resources to share in providing the best educational and discovery experience in AI
• strategic skills in a resilient product market fit and go-to-market plan

The opportunity would serve about half of the population of Oakland, addressing the marginalized, the Black and Brown community, and those under the poverty line. 

The opportunity is that today, users turn to apps geared toward their specific interests and to like-minded influencers and communities for product recommendations and reviews. "The social part of social media is migrating to smaller platforms." (TheFutureParty) We heard from over 150 survey respondents and over 25 interviews. These insights helped me better understand how users trust and make decisions using specific AI applications. Their purchases are greatly influenced by a brand's support for social causes they care about. In my survey, most respondents said they would use an AI product if promoted by an influencer over an algorithmic recommendation. Also, survey responders trust human perspectives and seek to learn directly through conversations with friends and peers, small forums and meetups, and email newsletters (respectively) around AI topics.  

I engaged in open, candid conversations with the community while getting groceries, waiting in line at the DMV, and participating in local events. I found that 100% of respondents expressed interest in our product. Each respondent voiced a need to have a significant role in the development of AI in their lives. This feedback underscores the importance of community involvement and their invaluable contribution to shaping the future of AI.

According to a McKinsey survey, Black consumers tend to be more brand-aware, and some spenders are willing to shift to brands that better address their needs. The survey also found that many Latinxs are willing to spend more on offerings better suited to their needs. With the increased emphasis on peer recommendations and user feedback, it's essential for businesses to engage with local communities and support the causes the users care about. Overall, by facilitating meaningful connections, users can drive positive change. 

The Users' solution is innovative because it closes the economic gap while creating a dedicated space for users to have a voice centered around topics in AI. By addressing the community needs, we are providing clear pathways to eliminate systemic injustices in tech, increase equitable and emerging spaces, and reduce poverty.

Our competitive analysis reveals a significant gap in the market. Currently, there are no social experience platforms exclusively focused on tech literacy, user experiences, and accountability through an ecosystem. Furthermore, there are no reputable lists, directories, or platforms championing responsible AI businesses in the context of community-first needs. 

While there are numerous modern and traditional consulting agencies that concentrate on research, governance, compliance measurement, training, and advocacy for responsible practices, our proposal offers a unique opportunity. We aim to collaborate with nonprofits that are already engaged in highlighting businesses that uphold ethical standards and practices. We will be a conduit for technical researchers to connect with locals finding tasks and solutions that users can align to.

We hope this will spark a change not just in the current generations but also in its legacies and future generations.

The outcomes for the end user are free access to educational resources, a connection and unique platform to share experiences, the knowledge to make more informed decisions on AI, and a push for businesses to ensure equitable and fair practices.

The outcome data will be collected through user feedback, surveys, usability testing, performance engagement, and increased businesses seeking ethical solutions through audits, community conversations, increased guardrails, patterns in community risks/benefits, etc. The Users will also identify AI risks and challenges to inform how we understand AI as a community and where to regulate

The ultimate impact for the end users and how it will be measured:

• Relief of the distressed and underprivileged: Tactical solutions to uplift individuals in tech-literacy, how end users envision their future to make more educated decisions around AI. 

  • The push for businesses to ensure equitable and fair practices

  • Measuring progress: Not just a bystander, but a sense of belonging where community and voice matter.

• Combat community deterioration: Public Participation - A mission driven organization that meets the needs of the community where we are at right now.

  • Public participation and engagement using community based participatory research

  • Measuring progress: An increase in equitable and emerging spaces most impacted by systematic injustices 

• Lessen neighborhood tensions: Centered in underinvested communities adjacent to tech hubs to foster trust and social accountability within the community. 

  • Measuring progress: Solved injustices from AI in labor issues, climate, health, human rights, privacy, accessibility, racial bias, and education. Increased trust and social accountability within the community. 

• Eliminating prejudice and discrimination through Community-driven discussions through an open-source platform:

  • To build the tech ecosystems of applications leading responsible practices and inclusivity, The Users will seek consulting agencies focusing on research, governance, measuring compliance, training, and advocating for responsible practices to provide resources on ethical AI applications. The Users will also partner with nonprofits, researchers, policymakers and advocates already doing the work to highlight ethical AI standards and practices. The Users will be a conduit for technical researchers to connect with locals finding tasks and solutions that users can align to. 

  • Measuring progress: The diversity of participation to include each data set

• Advancement of education: Provide educational resources and highlight ethical applications to promote accountability and transparency. 

  • The  community has gained knowledge and transparency on AI practices

  • Measuring progress: Can make more informed decisions on AI

The core technology is an all-in-one consumer-facing software platform to communicate and search. The three core technologies are:

1. a community board for video and text conversation service
2. a discovery feed featuring on-demand audio/video content
3. and a tech ecosystem featuring a search and catalog management service

At the moment it is just me full-time, but with plans to hire and grow with funds to initiate the activities seamlessly.

The Users began in the fall of 2023. 

I am in the process of gaining my 501c3 through a fiscal sponsor.

The Users will have full transparency in operations, open source, community engagement and connection to like-minded organizations. We will strive to center principles of social justice and racial equity in the workspace to those we hire and to those deploying the product to users. 

Our mission, deeply rooted in transparency through an open-source platform, underscores our operational goal to prioritize trust, emphasizing that each user and employee is valued and respected.

Once funded, I will seek to hire a diverse team representing the community's full spectrum. The first hires to make up the composition of the team would include an App Developer to build the software, an Executive Director to lead the business and be the product and creative director of user experiences, a Program Director to mobilize community participation and build partnership relations, an Ethicist to help study and explore how we define and share ethical AI applications, a Writer for UX navigational direction and social content, and a Social Media Manager to execute content distribution, engage creatively online and provide social educational content.

To build the tech ecosystems of applications leading responsible practices and inclusivity, The Users will seek consulting agencies focusing on research, governance, measuring compliance, training, and advocating for responsible practices to provide resources on ethical AI applications. The Users will also partner with nonprofits, researchers, policymakers and advocates already doing the work to highlight ethical AI standards and practices. The Users will be a conduit for technical researchers to connect with locals finding tasks and solutions that users can align to. 

The User’s is a subscription-based business model. 

The business model is designed to deliver value by offering a platform for civil society, educational tech, social community platforms, and responsible AI. 

End users will join the platform for free and access discussion forums, educational resources, and the tech ecosystem.

Driven by the community, select businesses will be invited to join The Users for a subscription fee and will gain access to discussion forums and sponsorship opportunities in the tech ecosystem.

The impact is a clear connection to share experiences, the knowledge to make more informed decisions on AI, and a push for businesses to provide more fair practices and experiences. Within our eight pillars (economy, climate, health, human rights, privacy, accessibility, racial bias, and education), our community plan outlines activities to drive public participation, capture stories and user experiences, address bias, and find solutions. Within the community board, users can vote on product experiences by pillar. (ie: economy) Community and social activities are held to be a catalyst for online conversations, providing interactive, accessibility, accountability, and community circles. 

Bloomberg Intelligence Analyst Mandeep Singh estimates the generative AI market could grow by 42% to reach $1.3 trillion by 2032. With increased demand for businesses to build AI tools, we increase our need to find responsible solutions to break down systemic injustices and biases in AI and build consumer trust in AI innovations.

Our budget is $300k to build our platform and educational tools and launch our community space within the first year. With a combination of grants and revenue programs, our goal is to diversify our revenue streams. While still at an early stage, we are still analyzing our success metrics. Our success leans on the feedback and public participation from our users. The community seeks safety, transparency and trust in the future of AI within our product.

How we envision our revenue programs:

Tech ecosystem subscription fee

Invited by the community, ethical tech collaborators, get access to the platform for a subscription fee and gain access to participate in community discussions and hear user experiences. The subscription service offers user research, collaboration time,  brand recognition, a network of users, brand loyalty, and a coaching tool for validating features. Businesses often default to surveys, but our approach to sharing user experiences will provide a new approach to understanding marginalized voices. We'll share the brand’s logo, website, and social impact description on our tech ecosystem page to provide transparency in the ethics and responsibility of the AI application. Tech collaborators will co-collaborate on 1-2 community program activities in building an open dialogue of accountability and trust around one of our 8 pillars (education, human rights, climate, economy, accessibility, privacy, racial bias, and health). Businesses will not make a profit or benefit from the platform. 

Event sponsors

As a community sponsor, we'll share the event logo + website on our events page, hero banner, website, and in-person program activity. Our pricing model formula is reach x time. Community sponsors will promote the program activity to their communities as a resource to expand equitable and emerging spaces.

Grants

A portion of anticipated income will come from foundation grants, government and individual donations. This is a work-in-progress as we scale.

Our roadmap to scale within the next 2 years:

1. Vision, identifying opportunity

2. Building stage (Where we are now)

3. Validation stage 

4. Distribution stage - launch