Addressing AI-Safety through Indigenous Community-based Governance

This project addresses the critical gap in current AI safety frameworks, which often overlook Indigenous rights and data sovereignty. By treating AI safety as a “common-pool resource,” the project team combines Elinor Ostrom’s commons theory with the Haudenosaunee Great Law of Peace to co-create a community-led governance model. Using decentralized infrastructure and privacy-enhancing technologies, the initiative will test this framework in a “living lab” setting. Ultimately, the project supports economic reconciliation by empowering Indigenous communities to oversee AI implementation, ensuring technology respects cultural heritage and seven-generation stewardship.