Project Concept: Open Social AI Platform for Democratic Discourse
Working Title: Swarmi.org – An Open Platform for Collective Intelligence
Core Idea: A European, transparent social media platform integrated with open-source AI that collects, analyzes, summarizes, and structures public discourse through democratic participation. Users voluntarily provide content, from which the AI learns. The platform becomes a hub for digital enlightenment and collaborative engagement.
1. Objectives
- Make democratic debates more understandable and accessible through AI
- Create a European alternative to dominant U.S.-based platforms
- Promote and develop open-weight AI models
- Use user-contributed data for collective progress (voluntarily and transparently)
- Strengthen the ethical dimension of AI: fairness, compassion, responsibility
2. Key Features
- Discourse Summaries: The AI continuously generates overviews of current topics, including sources, argumentation lines, and counterpoints
- Thematic Voting: Users participate anonymously in polls and votes on specific questions or proposals
- AI-Powered Moderation: Detects manipulation, hate speech, and spam, promoting constructive dialogue
- Knowledge Graph: Connects facts, arguments, and actors on specific issues
- Open Source & Open Weight: The AI model remains publicly accessible, trainable, and auditable
3. Copyright Approach
- Creation of a “Commons License” model for the platform: users can deliberately release their content for AI training
- Goal: EU-wide special provisions for public interest AI projects (analogous to academic exemptions)
- Partnerships with Creative Commons, Wikimedia, and Digital Public Goods initiatives
4. Data Protection and Ethical Principles
- Full GDPR compliance
- Data is only used for training with explicit user consent
- Transparent explanation of how and for what purposes data is used
- “Data Reclaim” option: users can delete or modify their data at any time
5. Governance Model
- Operated by a non-profit organization (e.g., European foundation)
- User involvement in AI development (via polls, forums)
- Independent ethics council to oversee algorithms, training data, and anti-discrimination policies
6. Funding Strategy
- Initial funding through EU programs (e.g., Digital Europe, Horizon)
- Support from civil society organizations and foundations
- Optional memberships (“Commons Patrons”)
- Long-term perspective: publicly funded ownership
7. Why Now?
- AI is rapidly becoming central infrastructure for public communication
- Europe needs fair, open alternatives to commercially dominated platforms
- Trust in democracy can be strengthened through transparency and participation
- People’s willingness to share data for public good is growing
Slogan Ideas:
- Think Together. Share Openly. Decide Differently.
- Your Voice. Our Intelligence. A Fair Future.
- Connect Knowledge. Shape Society.
