Manifesto · V. 1.0

For AI
in service
of the
common good

Filantrop-IA

Foundations, civil society organizations, researchers and experts united to guide a technological transition that is fair, inclusive and oriented toward the common good.

Individual signatories
Organizations
Preamble

Artificial intelligence is profoundly transforming society, welfare systems, labor markets and global power dynamics. We are in the midst of a polycrisis — climatic, geopolitical, social, technological, cultural — that demands structural, not incremental, responses.

"Today the development of AI is driven almost exclusively by market logic: over 549 billion dollars in investment, of which only 2.2 billion is directed toward applications for the common good."

This disproportion risks amplifying inequalities, creating new digital divides, eroding fundamental rights, and relegating the Third Sector to the role of passive user of technologies designed elsewhere and for other purposes.

We, the promoters of Filantrop-IA, believe that philanthropy must act as a force for rebalancing. This is not just about adopting technological tools, but about helping to determine the values, rules and priorities that guide the development and adoption of AI. This manifesto is our collective commitment.

Guiding values
I
Technological justice
AI must reduce inequalities, not amplify them.

The Third Sector has a responsibility to act as a safeguard for social justice, directing resources and capabilities toward innovation that produces equity. No organization should be excluded from the digital transition.

II
Dignity and autonomy
People at the center, never at the margins of the algorithm.

Technology must expand human capabilities, not replace them. Inviolable privacy, informed consent, and automated decisions that are always explainable and contestable.

III
Accountability and transparency
Answering for choices, including algorithmic ones.

Every AI system is the product of human choices. Responsibility cannot be delegated to the machine: it remains with the people and organizations that use it.

IV
Collective intelligence
No single actor alone can govern this transition.

The Third Sector's response cannot be individual, but must be systemic, cross-sectoral and collaborative: building networks, sharing knowledge, creating open infrastructures.

The ten operating principles
Promote a vision of AI at the service of civil society

The current development of AI is dominated by market logic, with minimal investment dedicated to the common good. Filantrop-IA was created to rebalance this gap and bring the public interest back to the center of innovation.

Critical awareness and widespread literacy

We are committed to understanding AI in its technical, ethical, social, economic, cultural and political dimensions. We promote a sector-wide culture grounded in critical discernment at every organizational level.

Strengthen philanthropy's role as an actor in the transition

Philanthropy and civil society must become a democratic safeguard, steering innovation toward equity, rights and inclusion, in dialogue with national and international institutions.

Innovation for the common good

We support the development of open-source solutions, the sharing of non-sensitive data, replicable models, and partnerships between the social sector and responsible technology actors.

Data governance and algorithmic accountability

We promote ethical, transparent and responsible data management as a prerequisite for any digital transformation. Philanthropic organizations must be responsible custodians of the data of the communities they serve.

Bridge the digital divide and strengthen skills

We support nonprofit organizations on a path toward responsible technology adoption, reducing disparities in knowledge, capacity and resources. No organization should be left behind.

Communities as protagonists, not just recipients

We promote a model in which communities are active participants in the debate on technological innovation, through co-design and by listening to the voices of the peripheries and of new generations.

Build a competent community with a shared vision

Foundations, third-sector entities, experts and researchers are called upon to contribute equally to the definition of the Manifesto, to take part in working groups, and to strengthen a shared language on AI in the Third Sector.

Environmental sustainability

We recognize the significant environmental impact of AI in terms of energy consumption, water resources and emissions. We are committed to assessing its ecological footprint and integrating sustainability as a criterion for technology choices.

Monitor and report on the evolution of AI for the common good

We are committed to building an observatory to document challenges, use cases, opportunities and risks, feeding an informed and accessible public debate.

Signatories
First signatories
Tiziano Blasi
Federico Mento
Daniele Messina
Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena
Arianna De Mario
Ashoka Italia
Wisedāna Foundation
Mapping Change
Christian Elevati
Elisa Ricciuti
DICE Impact & Philantropy
Davide Dal Maso
Avanzi!
Martina Lascialfari
Martina Carpani
Andrea Maria Bertolazzi
Paolo Palmerini
GnuCoop Soc. Coop.
Elisabetta Cibinel
Percorsi di Secondo Welfare
Roberto Giuliani
Enrica Lobina
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