Digital Futures Lab

Digital Futures Lab is proud to share that our proposal — developed in partnership with Karya — has been selected as one of five projects supported by the IndiaAI Mission under its latest RFP on Safe & Trusted AI. Our project focusses on evaluating gender bias in agricultural LLMs and creating Digital Public Goods for benchmarking and fair data work. As AI systems increasingly shape critical sectors like agriculture, identifying and addressing gendered gaps in datasets and model behavior becomes essential to building inclusive, context-aware AI. This recognition underlines the growing importance of civil society–tech collaborations in advancing India’s AI ecosystem ensuring that safety, transparency, and trust are built not just into systems, but into the data and design processes that shape them. We look forward to working with IndiaAI and our partners to strengthen the foundations of responsible, equitable AI in India. 📄 Read the official announcement here: https://lnkd.in/gqgqs3Eu 🔗 Read our previous work From Code to Consequence where we explored gender bias across the LLM lifecycle and developed bias mitigation strategies for developers & policymakers: https://lnkd.in/dSMm8gdP Urvashi Aneja Aarushi Gupta #SafeAI #ResponsibleAI #GenderAndAI #DigitalPublicGoods #IndiaAI #AIForGood #TechPolicy #DigitalFuturesLab

Excited to share the launch of the project, "From Principles to Practice, Responsible Al in Indian Healthcare System” at the Conclave on AI Governance, organised by Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI, IIT Madras & Centre For Responsible AI (CeRAI). CeRAI's Dr. Geetha Raju, Dr. Gokul S Krishnan and Digital Futures Lab's Harleen Kaur identify the challenges of AI in the Indian healthcare system and limitations of existing frameworks, with the aim to provide guidance on risk mitigation strategies by evaluating data quality, model robustness, and adoption readiness. 🔗 Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/dJkkugAP Balaraman Ravindran Urvashi Aneja Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RBCDSAI) IBSE: Centre for Integrative Biology and Systems medicinE AI4Bhārat Walmart Center for Tech Excellence (WACE) Indian Institute of Technology, Madras Ministry of Education, Government of India, New Delhi

🌟 #NewComic: Soundmind | When “ease” becomes entrapment As assistive technologies evolve with AI, they promise new forms of independence and intimacy — from helping people navigate daily life to offering companionship in moments of isolation. But what happens when the same technologies built to reduce friction quietly reshape what care and connection mean? Developed based on the open call submission and in collaboration with Rhea Lopez and Sid Verma, Soundmind follows Priya, a visually impaired food vlogger whose AI headset at first expands her autonomy — before beginning to curate her emotions, filter discomfort, and alter her relationships. The comic and accompanying essay reflect on real-world parallels: 🔹 While AI-powered assistive tools can enhance mobility, communication, and support, the profit-driven conditions they are built in often warp their purpose 🔹 The need for a radical rethink of how we design companion AI to introduce ‘positive friction' 🔹 Why guardrails, transparency, and public oversight are non-negotiable in AI that mediates care At its core, Soundmind asks: what culture of empathy, connection, and resilience are we designing into our futures? 🔗 Read the story and essay → https://lnkd.in/dRqmMEtU 🗓️ Pre-register for our upcoming virtual panel building on Soundmind and unpacking AI, assistance, and the future of care → https://lnkd.in/d_a7AEMC 👀 Keep an eye out for speaker details! --- Soundmind has been developed in collaboration with Point of View, Voice Vision, Bishakha Datta, Sushmeetha Bubna, Shazia Qureshi (She/Her), Pranav Savla; and illustrated by Vineet Karnani. Human in the Loop is a participatory foresight and storytelling project developed by Digital Futures Lab with the support of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies in partnership with Quicksand. Natasha Joshi Team: Urvashi Aneja Harleen Kaur Sasha John Shivranjana Rathore #HumanInTheLoop #ResponsibleAI #DigitalFutures #TechCare #SpeculativeStorytelling #AIandSociety

📣 LAST DAY TO REGISTER! Join us for the panel: 'Courts of Tomorrow: Justice in the Age of AI' 🗓 Thursday, October 16, 2025 🕔 4:30–6:00 PM IST 📍 Zoom Building on the Human in the Loop comic, 'Premium Justice', a speculative story where a techno-optimist judge grapples with the profound shifts in the system after it turns to AI, panellists Kanan Dhru, Rahul Hemrajani, Siddharth Peter de Souza, and Smita Gupta will speak with Harleen Kaur and respond to the comic's provocations: 👀 what should AI optimise for in the justice system? 👀 how do we safeguard human judgment, accountability, and due process in an AI-driven judiciary? 👉 Register here: https://lnkd.in/dquSp9E5 De Haagse Hogeschool / The Hague University of Applied Sciences jhana National Law School of India University Justice Adda --- Human in the Loop has been developed by Digital Futures Lab with the support of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, and in partnership with Quicksand. Natasha Joshi Team: Urvashi Aneja Harleen Kaur Sasha John Shivranjana Rathore #HumanInTheLoop #ResponsibleAI #Foresight #IndiaFutures #JustFutures

📣 Coming up this week - Courts of Tomorrow: Justice in the Age of AI' Why this conversation, and why now? India’s judiciary stands at a crossroads. With 50 million pending cases (as of late 2024) and new AI tools promising efficiency, we’re witnessing a rapid technological turn in the justice system. But what happens when speed and automation begin to overshadow fairness and human judgment? Our comic Premium Justice explores a near-future Tamil Nadu where courtroom AI systems promise accessibility but end up amplifying inequity — a world where justice itself becomes a premium service. Through the story of Judge Nathan, the comic reflects a dilemma that is no longer science fiction: How do we govern AI in our most human institutions? This is also the question at the heart of our upcoming panel 'Courts of Tomorrow: Justice in the Age of AI,' with panellists Kanan Dhru, Siddharth Peter de Souza, Smita Gupta, and Rahul Hemrajani, and moderator, Harleen Kaur. Together, we’ll explore what’s at stake as India’s legal system experiments with AI — from efficiency gains and hidden biases to legitimacy, ethics, and accountability. 🗓️ Thursday, Oct 16, 2025 | 4:30 PM IST | Zoom 🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/defGCFGm 🔗 Check out Premium Justice here: https://lnkd.in/dJN7ZE66 --- The comic Premium Justice, developed by Studio Zeng, is a part of Human in the Loop, a participatory foresight and storytelling project, supported by Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies. Project Team: Urvashi Aneja Quicksand Harleen Kaur Sasha John Shivranjana Rathore #HumanInTheLoop #ResponsibleAI #JustFutures #Foresight #IndiaFutures

Excited to share that Founder and Executive Director, Urvashi Aneja is joining the Conclave on AI Governance by WSAI & CeRAI as a keynote speaker! Learn more about the Conclave now. Balaraman Ravindran | Centre For Responsible AI (CeRAI) | Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RBCDSAI) | IBSE: Centre for Integrative Biology and Systems medicinE | AI4Bhārat | Walmart Center for Tech Excellence (WACE) | Indian Institute of Technology, Madras | IndiaAI | Ministry of Education, Government of India, New Delhi

📢 Meet the panellists! We’re excited to announce the panellists joining us for ‘Courts of Tomorrow: Justice in the Age of AI, the upcoming virtual event in our Human in the Loop series (supported by Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies): ▪️ Kanan Dhru, De Haagse Hogeschool / The Hague University of Applied Sciences and Ritam Ventures ▪️ Rahul Hemrajani, National Law School of India University, Bengaluru ▪️ Smita Gupta, jhana ▪️ Siddharth Peter de Souza, University of Warwick and Justice Adda Building on the comic, Premium Justice, the panellists will explore what justice would mean in an AI-driven court through the comic's provocation: What happens when access to justice becomes a premium service, and human decision-making is quietly coded out? Do not miss this! 🗓 October 16 | 4:30–6 PM IST | Zoom 🔗 Sign up link in comments. --- Team: Urvashi Aneja Quicksand Harleen Kaur Sasha John Shivranjana Rathore Premium Justice by Studio Zeng #HumanInTheLoop #ResponsibleAI #LegalFutures #JustFutures #DigitalFutures #TechPolicy

🚀 Announcement Alert! Our Conclave on AI Governance just got bigger — it’s now an official Pre-Summit Event of the IndiaAI Impact Summit 2026! We’re bringing together some of the brightest minds from industry, academia, and policy to explore the future of Responsible AI. Featuring a stellar line-up of distinguished speakers, here’s what you can look forward to: ✅ In-depth discussions on responsible AI adoption. ✅ Insights from distinguished leaders shaping AI policy and innovation. ✅ Engaging sessions on the intersection of technology, society and governance. ✅ Networking opportunities. We have a lot more in store!  📢 Do not miss this opportunity to be part of the Conclave.  👉🏽 Register here:  https://lnkd.in/dEXuQ8CP #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 #SafeAI #TrustedAI #GlobalSouth #RoadToImpact #AIForAll #InclusiveAI #PeoplePlanetProgress Balaraman Ravindran | IndiaAI | Centre For Responsible AI (CeRAI) | Srinivasan Parthasarathy | Abhishek Singh | Urvashi Aneja | Venkat Ramaswamy | Ashish Tewari | Ashish Aggarwal | Amol Padhye | Pragya Misra | Kishore Balaji Desikachari | Amlan Mohanty | Eunsong Kim | Mitesh Khapra | Amita Y. | Syed Nazakat | Aditi Surie, PhD | Madhurima Maji | Vibhav Mithal | Anil Ananthaswamy | Sarayu Natarajan | Pratik Pal | Varsha Verma | Dayasindhu N | Krishnan Narayanan | Robert Bosch Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RBCDSAI) | AI4Bhārat | Walmart Center for Tech Excellence | Indian Institute of Technology, Madras | MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

How is AI shaping climate action in the Asian region, and whose futures are being imagined in the process? At Digital Futures Lab, we believe that AI is not a silver bullet, but a space for responsible experimentation, participation, and futures-thinking. As we wind down the first season of the Code Green series and look back at the last few years of our work in the domain that captures the complexities in the arena, we invite policymakers, developers, funders, and researchers to see beyond narrow imaginaries — and to support diverse, grounded approaches that can make just technology and climate futures tangible. Both our projects, 'AI + Climate Futures in Asia' (supported by The Rockefeller Foundation) and Code Green (supported by Earth Venture Capital Foundation initiatives) surface plural, often overlooked innovations and ground-level challenges of developing and implementing AI solutions. In a recent DFL newsletter issue, Shivranjana Rathore pens our reflections on these learnings: 🔹 It’s critical to think beyond dystopia; we need futures thinking and hope 🔹 AI for climate action is plural and can broaden what innovation means 🔹 Equity and participation must guide AI development 🔹 Visibility enables opportunity 🔹 AI is not a silver bullet — it must be embedded in systems 📖 Read the full reflection 'AI, Climate Tech and the Futures We Choose' here → https://lnkd.in/d9mRQdYw Check out Code Green here: https://codegreen.asia/ Dona Mathew #TechPolicy #Foresight #DigitalFutures #AnticipatoryGovernance #ClimateTech #ClimateAction #GenAI #AsiaFutures