Abundant Intelligences

Indigenous Approaches to Artificial Intelligences

Abundant Intelligences is an Indigenous-led research program that conceptualizes, designs, develops, and deploys Artificial Intelligence based on Indigenous Knowledge systems.

Our research questions are

(1)

How can we develop new approaches to AI, based in Indigenous Knowledge Systems, that support the flourishing of Indigenous communities?

(2)

How can we integrate and adapt existing methods for creating AI into Indigenous Knowledge systems?

(3)

How can we use the knowledge we generate to help guide the development of AI generally towards a more humane future?

Our goals include

01   METHODOLOGIES 

Honour Indigenous knowledge systems to develop collaborative, interdisciplinary methodologies that impact science, technology, and creative fields.

02  NETWORKS

Build and strengthen an international network of researchers and community organizations who can engage critically with conversations about AI.

03 STUDENTS/LEARNERS

Build and strengthen an international network of students and learners who engage critically with AI, develop technical capacity to work in AI-related fields, and contribute to the future of AI.

04  DATA

Develop, implement, and disseminate experimental frameworks that address data sovereignty, data colonialism, and Indigenous cultural property and align with OCAP Principles.

05  AI SYSTEMS

Develop AI models, tools, and applications that use Indigenous-centred AI guidelines.

06 AI INFRASTRUCTURE

Collaborate with communities and community organizations to build AI infrastructure that aligns with community needs and respects sovereignty, as defined by communities.

07   POLICY

Contribute to and shape AI and data policy conversations nationally and internationally.

08  KNOWLEDGE MOBILIZATION

Strategically disseminate research findings across audiences and sectors and through diverse media platforms.

We are interested in

Expanding the range of linguistic structures and language densities that Natural Language Processing (NLP) systems can robustly and appropriately handle.

Drawing on Indigenous storytelling and oral traditions to assist in developing more robust, contextualized machine understandings of the stories humans tell to articulate and disseminate knowledge.

Exploring how traditional Indigenous land management and stewardship practices can inform AI-driven land management and restoration systems.

Using the diversity and heterogeneity of IK systems to help develop better models for understanding how humans draw on their socio-cultural context to learn and make decisions, and how situated socio-cultural intelligences can be modeled into AI systems.

Developing more robust approaches to how diverse agents might interact with each other given socio-cultural context, including modeling of both human and non-human actors.

Program Timeline

The current funding supports a six year program of research and research-creation, starting March 1, 2023 and running until February 28, 2029.

Program Extent

0
Co-investigators and collaborators
0
Community-based organizations
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Universities / Research Institute
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Research Pods
Located in Canada, United States, Aotearoa, Oceania

Co-director

Prof.

Jason Edward Lewis

Indigenous Futures Research Centre at Concordia University

Co-director

Prof.

Hēmi Whaanga

Te Pūtahi-a-Toi at Massey University

Research Pods

Haudenosaunee Pod

Onkwehonwe Research Environment

Western University

Hiringa Te Mahara

Āpōpō Indigenous CreativeTech Hub

Indigenous Design and Innovation Aotearoa

Ka Hawai’i Pae ‘Āina Pod

Create(x) Lab

University of Hawai’i

Niitsitapi Pod

Centre for Indigenous Arts Research and Technology

University of Lethbridge

Wíhaŋble S’a Pod

Wíhaŋble S’a Lab

Bard College

What we are up to