Three priorities for funders to help civil society meet the changing AI challenge

AI is moving fast, legislation is being challenged and old tactics are not cutting it. That’s why in June, the European AI & Society Fund invited civil society leaders to a strategy retreat to reflect on how to build collective power in a turbulent political climate. Here Līva Vikmane, Community and Insights Programme Manager, and Co-Director Evelyne Paradis share the three priorities that emerged: 

Thirty civil society leaders came together at a moment of growing uncertainty for civil society groups working to shape the direction of AI in Europe. Space for public-interest voices in decision-making is shrinking. A handful of unaccountable tech billionaires continue to accumulate power. And many progressive political allies have lost influence in keeping the public interest at the forefront of political agendas.  

It’s clear that groups working to make sure AI benefits everyone in society will need to act collectively if they are to meet these headwinds. The question for us is,  

how do we build civil society power in this changing political climate?  

For two days a 19th century townhouse in Ghent with a tranquil, hidden garden became a space for honest conversations, strategy deepening and joint reflection on what needs to change in the work of our movements to achieve fairer and safer society.  

We had been hearing for months in conversations with our grantees and others in the field the same needs and doubts. They spoke of increasing pressure to respond to a rapidly evolving landscape while having too little time for strategic reflection. Many questioned whether existing approaches could meet the scale of the challenge. Others worried about fragmentation and the absence of spaces where people could step back, make sense of change together, and build collective power. 

This strategy retreat was our response to those concerns. We brought together current and former grantees and other leaders – working across AI accountability, governance, and economy – to create a strategic and regenerative space, one centred on trust, openness and collective learning. 

And we identified three priorities for civil society and funders to meet the challenge: investing in collaborative infrastructure for civil society, building stronger connections across movements, and developing compelling public-interest visions for the future of technology and AI.  

1. Invest in spaces that strengthen collective strategy and power 

One of the clearest messages from the retreat was that strategic spaces for collective reflection. One of the clearest messages from the retreat was that strategic spaces for collective reflection are more necessary than ever. As civil society organisations face growing pressure to respond to immediate challenges, opportunities for longer-term and joint strategy development are often the first thing to disappear. Yet no single organisation or sector will succeed alone, because the issues we face are complex, interconnected, and beyond the reach of any one actor. 

Funders can play a critical role by investing in the connective tissue that makes collective work effective: peer networks, cross-organisational strategy spaces, in-person meetings to build trust, shared learning and coordination. These are often among the hardest activities to resource, given the investment of time, coordination and collective ownership they demand. Yet they are essential for building the power required to shape the future of AI in Europe.   

2. Grow the movement by connecting sectors and constituencies 

The diversity of the group proved to be one of our retreat’s greatest strengths. Bringing together leaders working across tech justice, democracy, equality, consumer protection and energy transition created opportunities to learn across sectors, identify shared challenges and uncover connections.  

Perhaps more importantly, it also revealed that if the goal is to shape the future of AI in the public interest, building influence will require stronger alliances with movements that do not see themselves primarily as part of the immediate AI field. As AI reshapes more aspects of everyday life – from children’s safety to energy price increases driven by the expansion of electricity hungry data centres – participants identified other potentially important partners in the years ahead. Trade unions, labour organisations, and youth movements, to name a few.  

As funders, we can create the conditions for stronger connections across civil society movements and communities. Through support for partnership-building, cross-sector learning and movement building, we can help broaden the constituency engaged in shaping the future of AI. The message that emerged in Ghent was that the field’s long-term strength will depend on a wider network recognising their stake in these issues and working together to address them.  

3. Support the development of public-interest visions for AI 

Around the time we were gathering in Ghent, yet another piece of future-fiction scenario intended to convince European leaders of the need to accelerate investment in AI and related infrastructure came out. While many public-interest advocates strongly disagreed with its core premise, the publication offered a vision of the future.  

And for many, it was an important reminder of what our field is still missing: compelling visions of the future that can resonate beyond the policy community and connect with people’s everyday hopes and concerns. Throughout our discussions, participants named the need to articulate what we are for and what kind of future we want to build, increasingly recognising that identifying risks and harms, while essential, is not enough to mobilise public support.  

For funders, this points to an important opportunity. There is a need to support the development of new ideas, narratives and visions that policymakers and communities can rally around. This requires different skills, partnerships and ways of working than many organisations have traditionally relied on. The message we heard in Ghent was clear: the field is ready to help shape a positive vision for our future with technology and AI. If we do not invest in that work, others will continue to define the future for us. 

What next

These priorities will inform the European AI & Society Fund’s work in the months ahead. We will support organisations to build on the ideas that emerged, for instance through our small Collective Action grants and by helping organisations adopt new ways of working. Through our new Building Narrative Power funding and learning programme we are helping to grow connections with groups focused on data centres, jobs and children and to generate new ways of thinking and talking about how AI could serve the public interest.  

We invite fellow funders to join us in this effort by investing in the partnerships, narratives and collective action needed to ensure AI serves people and society.