Making a tool once required permission — a degree, a department, a budget line. AI can collapse the distance between wishing a tool existed and building it: anyone who understands a problem can now build the thing that meets it. Toolmaking, the oldest human craft, becomes available to everyone. But that potential won't bend toward the public good on its own, not while the companies building AI are the only ones deciding what it's for.
The Community AI Project is a live experiment in taking hold of that power and pointing it at civic life. Open-source, locally-owned tools, deployed in real neighborhoods — so communities can shape their own future rather than rent it from the companies that own the alternative.
Digital public works that respect your privacy. Just as we build roads and libraries for the public good, we are building the digital layer of the city to be open, accessible, and owned by the people.
Principles that guide every line of code we write.
We prioritize locally-run LLMs over frontier models to reduce carbon footprint and environmental impact.
No black boxes. Anyone can audit our code. Trust is earned through transparency.
AI should serve to amplify human connection and civic action, not replace it.
We believe neighborhoods should own their digital data just as they own their physical spaces.
We design for disabilities and language barriers first, ensuring no neighbor is left behind.
We build lightweight, resilient tools that run on old hardware and don't require expensive upgrades.
We apply the speed of modern software development to slow-moving civic problems. By deploying micro-apps for specific neighborhood needs, we can iterate faster than bureaucracy allows, while maintaining the safety and inclusivity required for public life.
Learn More About Our MethodsCorporate AI extracts value; Community AI creates value. We analyze public data at the scale of a government to empower the individual.
We build with Open Source models that can be audited by anyone. We prioritize Local-First deployment. Low cost, high privacy.
Our goal isn't just "smarter" cities, but stronger citizens. Reducing tedious admin so volunteers can focus on action.
A collaboration between public media makers and creative technologists.
The R&D lab for creative technologist and community media hooligan Stephen Walter.
Nonprofit community media center & civic hub located in Brookline, MA.
Local data models & policy experts based in Boston & New York.
Deconstruct this site or build something new.