Humanity AI commits $18m grants

Humanity AI said on May 12 that it had committed more than $18 million in new grants for organizations working on artificial intelligence in the public interest. The Ford Foundation-backed initiative said the package includes $8 million for 12 inaugural grantees and another $10 million for a forthcoming open call this summer. The grants span education, civil liberties, labor, journalism and democratic governance, according to announcements from Humanity AI, the Ford Foundation and other participating funders. ### Where is the $18 million going? The largest defined buckets are $8 million for 12 inaugural grantees, $3 million for a new program called AI Civics and $10 million reserved for a later open call, according to Humanity AI. The organization described AI Civics as a collaborative effort focused on public education, literacy and community decision-making about AI. (fordfoundation.org) The inaugural grants include $500,000 awards to groups such as AI Now Institute, the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Center on Resilience & Digital Justice, the Council on Foreign Relations’ LEAD AI program and the Distributed AI Research Institute, according to the Ford Foundation announcement. The published descriptions center on accountability, civil rights, policy research and community-driven governance rather than consumer AI products or classroom software rollouts. (humanityai.ai) ### How does education fit into this funding? Humanity AI said education is one of the issue areas it supports, but the grant descriptions emphasize public-interest infrastructure around AI rather than direct K-12 classroom tools. Its public materials say the education priority is to shape AI “around the best interests of students and communities” and to expand access to knowledge while strengthening how people learn. (fordfoundation.org) The May 12 grant announcement paired education with journalism, workers’ rights and democratic institutions, and it separately highlighted AI Civics as a vehicle for public education and community voice. That framing places the education component closer to guidance, governance and literacy than to procurement of tutoring bots or district software. That is an inference from the grant descriptions published by Humanity AI and the Ford Foundation. (humanityai.ai) ### Who is behind Humanity AI? Humanity AI said in October 2025 that it was launching as a $500 million, five-year initiative aimed at giving people more influence over how AI is designed, deployed and governed. The coalition named 10 participating foundations: Doris Duke Foundation, Ford Foundation, Lumina Foundation, Kapor Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Mellon Foundation, Mozilla Foundation, Omidyar Network, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and Siegel Family Endowment. (fordfoundation.org) John Palfrey, president of the MacArthur Foundation, said in the May 12 announcement that communities should have “a seat at the table” as “architects of the systems that affect their lives.” Michele Jawando, chief executive of Omidyar Network, said the initiative was backing technologists, artists, academics, journalists and community organizations. (humanityai.ai) ### Why are the funders framing this around public trust and governance? A June 2025 Pew Research survey found that half of U.S. adults said the increased use of AI in daily life made them feel more concerned than excited, and 55% said they wanted more control over how AI is used in their lives. Humanity AI and the Ford Foundation cited those figures in explaining the grant package. (humanityai.ai) Lori McGlinchey, director of the Technology and Society program at the Ford Foundation, said the moment called for embedding “fundamental rights into the design, deployment, and governance of technology.” The 2023 philanthropic initiative that preceded Humanity AI also said participating foundations were directing more than $200 million toward efforts to mitigate AI harms and promote responsible use and innovation. (fordfoundation.org) ### What should readers watch next? This summer, Humanity AI plans to launch the $10 million open call it referenced in the May 12 announcement. The organization said additional information on the inaugural grantees and future opportunities would be posted through its website. (fordfoundation.org)