[Open call for participation] Artificial intelligence, accountability and Indigenous self-determination
Illustration by Adriana García Herbas for Rising Voices.
What is so-called “Artificial Intelligence (AI)”?
How is it used, and how does it affect the lives, cultures, and projects of Indigenous peoples in México?
Do you want to better understand AI, reflect on its uses, and share that knowledge with your own community?
Are you speaker of a Mayan language and currently reside in Chiapas?
Rising Voices, a Global Voices initiative, announces this open call as part of Mayan Languages Digital Activism Summit, for those who wish to participate in a hybrid program for peer learning and exchange about AI literacy, AI accountability from Indigenous perspectives in Mexico. This program also has support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Pulitzer Center.
Indigenous perspectives on AI are rarely considered in deliberations and decision-making around this technology, despite many advocating for greater understanding, reflection, and dialogue to ensure the broad participation and self-determination of Indigenous peoples. Self-determination is not only a political right – it is also a digital right. Indigenous communities have the right to decide how, and under what conditions these technologies enter their territories, incorporate, or affect their languages, and shape their algorithms and narratives.
To exercise the right to self-determination, it is essential to be able to make informed decisions. This is achieved by understanding how these tools work, evaluating and deliberating on whether they align with the values of each Indigenous community, and discussing and exploring alternatives when they do not.
This program is proposed as a safe space to explore, learn among peers, and build the knowledge necessary for Indigenous activists and advocates to bring these insights and reflections back to their communities.
Background and context
Indigenous peoples and communities face greater risks of being affected by the most negative effects associated with “artificial intelligence.” These include: the improper extraction and appropriation of traditional knowledge, the extractive commercial use of Indigenous language data without consent, the reinforcement of harmful biases and racist and discriminatory stereotypes, and the environmental impacts of technological infrastructure on Indigenous territories. Despite these serious risks, Indigenous peoples and communities remain absent from the spaces where decisions about the design, deployment, and governance of these technologies are made.
This project has developed out of a participatory process of deliberation and consultation with Indigenous activists in Mexico. In March 2025, Rising Voices, in collaboration with First Languages AI Reality (FLAIR) and the Canada Research Chair in Digital Indigeneities, organized the 1st “AI + Languages” Forum in Mexico City, bringing together 47 indigenous digital activists speaking 15 different languages from across the country. Participants shared their concerns about the impacts of AI on their communities and expressed strong interest in having spaces for deeper exploration and hands-on learning.
In a post-event survey, participants identified the need for:
- More accessible explanations of AI technologies, especially for audiences with little to no familiarity with technical concepts
- A deeper analysis of the implications of AI for processes of self-determination, data sovereignty, and representation
- Practical strategies for sharing this knowledge at the community level
What is this program – and what is it not?
We would like to be clear about the program's focus:
What this program is NOT:
❌ We will not teach you to use AI tools to create content in Indigenous languages
❌ We will not teach you to build your own AI model
❌ It will not be a technical programming or technology development workshop
What we WILL explore:
✅ How these tools work on the inside, how they are built, from what data, and what kinds of results these tools produce
✅ How to critically evaluate their risks and implications for Indigenous peoples and communities
✅ How to identify whether or not these technologies align with the values of your people or community, in order to make informed decisions
✅ How you might share these learnings with your community from your own cultural perspective
What does the program consist of?
The program has two phases:
Phase 1 — Two virtual sessions – These are 90-minute webinar-style sessions. Participants may attend live or watch the recording afterward. Topics will include:
- Basic AI concepts
- What is artificial intelligence and how does it work? How are these systems built from data, and what kinds of results do they produce?
- AI accountability through case studies
- What should we consider when evaluating how AI interacts with our communities? Through concrete cases, key questions and tensions will be explored.
Virtual session dates and times:
📅 Virtual session #1 – Wednesday, April 8th, 18:00-19:30 hrs (Chiapas local time)
📅 Virtual session #2 – Tuesday, April 21st, 18:00-19:30 hrs (Chiapas local time)
Phase 2 — In-person workshop in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas – May 5, 6, and 7
There will also be a three-day in-person workshop where program content will be explored in greater depth, and participants will work on communicational processes in collaboration with a local media collective. The goal of this exercise is to bring complex AI concepts through accessible narratives, including in local Indigenous languages, to share with their communities.
📅 In-person workshop – May 5-7 in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas
Travel and accommodation subsidies will be considered for participants who do not reside in San Cristóbal de las Casas.
Who is this program for?
Indigenous digital activists based in Chiapas, especially speakers of Mayan languages from the region, who want to better understand how AI works, evaluate its risks and implications for their communities, and take an active role in awareness-raising in a culturally and linguistically relevant way.
Up to 15 participants will be selected.
(This program will soon be replicated for participants in the Yucatán Peninsula. More information coming soon.)
Selected participants must commit to:
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Watching both virtual sessions, either live or through the recording
-
Attending all three days of the in-person workshop in San Cristóbal de las Casas
How to apply
The workshop is free for selected participants.
To apply, complete the form below.
Application deadline: April 5th, 2026 at 23:59h, local time in Chiapas
Notification of results: April 6th, 2026
¿Questions?
Write to us at rising [at] globalvoices.org
Facilitation team
Belu Ticona is marrona, Quechua-Aymara woman, born in Buenos Aires to a Bolivian family. She studied computer science at the University of Buenos Aires and completed training residencies at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and Johns Hopkins University, among others. She interned at corporate companies such as Medallia and Microsoft, as well as at indigenous initiatives like First Languages AI Reality. She is currently pursuing her PhD in computer science at George Mason University, where she studies language technologies for: (1) response to environmental and humanitarian crises, and (2) endangered languages and dialects, from a people- and community-centered perspective (also known as human-computer interaction).
Genner Llanes Ortiz is a Maya researcher from the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, and holds a PhD in anthropology from the University of Sussex (United Kingdom). He is currently an associate professor at Bishop's University in Canada, where since 2022 he has led the Canada Research Chair in Digital Indigeneities. This term encompasses the diverse ways in which Indigenous peoples use digital technologies to promote their languages and worldviews, educate about their cultures and histories, share knowledge across generations, and mobilize support for their causes. He is the lead author of the toolkit “Digital Initiatives for Indigenous Languages,” produced by Rising Voices/Global Voices and published by UNESCO in 2023.
Rosalba Gómez is a Tseltal woman from Bachajón, a digital strategist and specialist in rights-focused technology projects. Her work connects artificial intelligence, digital security, and public participation, with particular attention to the challenges faced by indigenous women in the digital environment. Through Foro Indígena she promotes spaces for advocacy and training, and through Bats'il she drives initiatives to think through and develop ethical uses of AI in the face of digital violence. Her career has focused on linking technology and the exercise of rights from a community-based, intercultural, and justice-oriented perspective.
Kiado Cruz is a Zapotec communicator and researcher from Yagavila, Oaxaca. As co-founder of SURCO A.C., he works to promote Indigenous rights and community communication. His work focuses on access to information in Indigenous languages and community data. He contributes to INDIGITAL, a digital platform on indigenous languages and cultures. As a fellow at Stanford's Digital Civil Society Lab, he researches the role of ICTs in Indigenous movements. His commitment is to strengthen communities through technology and preserve linguistic diversity.
Application form
Please visit the original post in Spanish.
