Proposal

APrIGF 2024 Session Proposal Submission Form
Part 1 - Lead Organizer
Contact Person
Aindriya Barua
Email
Organization / Affiliation (Please state "Individual" if appropriate) *
Shhor AI
Designation
Founder & CEO
Gender
Non Binary
Economy of Residence
India
Primary Stakeholder Group
Technical Community
Part 2 - Session Proposal
Session Title
ShhorAI: Combating Hate Speech and Fostering an Inclusive Digital Space
Session Format
The Pitch (20 minutes)
Where do you plan to organize your session?
Online only (with onsite facilitator who will help with questions or comments from the floor)
Specific Issues for Discussion
ShhorAI is a queer-Adivasi-led internationally acclaimed, UN-awarded artificial intelligence initiative dedicated to fostering a safer and more inclusive digital world for all, specifically trained to identify and understand context and nuances of hate speech of 8 kinds- queerphobia, sexism, casteism, communal hate, racism, electoral politics hate, ableism and general hate in Indian vernacular, mixed, and informal languages.

Specific Issues for Discussion
1. Hate Speech Detection and Moderation through ShhorAI
- Explore the challenges of identifying hate speech across languages, especially in mixed and informal contexts in the South Asia Pacific.
- Address the impact of hate speech on marginalized communities from an intersectional feminist lens.
- Discuss ShhorAI's journey for solving the complexities in understanding nuances and detection of offensive content in morphologically rich and resource-poor languages.

2. API Integration Demo and Scalability:
- Delve into the technical aspects of implementing ShhorAI's research by integrating it with platforms as a content moderation SAAS API.
- Consider scalability and real-time moderation capabilities through a live demo of ShhorAI.
- Share success stories and use cases.

3. Multi-modality and Regional Languages:
- Highlight ShhorAI’s focus on Indian vernacular languages.
- Discuss the potential application to other regional languages and expanding across modes of online content- text, images and videos
- Promote inclusivity in hate speech detection.

4. Promoting Inclusivity and Accountability Online:
- Brainstorm strategies to create a safer digital space, while holding perpetrators accountable.
- Discuss about art as ShhorAI's method of making AI, technological advances and digital advocacy more accessible for the people.
- Explore partnerships and collaborations.
Describe the Relevance of Your Session to APrIGF
The ShhorAI pitch directly addresses the conference theme of "Evolving Ecosystems, Enduring Principles: Shaping Responsible Internet Governance," particularly under the thematic track of Security & Trust. Here’s a breakdown of how ShhorAI contributes to this dialogue:

Combatting Online Hate Speech Across Borders:

- Scope of Issue: ShhorAI tackles the critical challenge of online hate speech, a pervasive issue impacting digital security, trust, and inclusivity. The tool is particularly focused on protecting marginalized communities, aligning with global efforts to foster a safer internet environment.
- Multilingual Detection: With its innovative focus on detecting hate speech in Hinglish and other mixed languages, ShhorAI addresses the unique linguistic diversity of the Asia-Pacific region, enhancing accessibility and protection for all internet users.

Promotion of Ethical AI and Digital Rights:

- Adherence to Ethical Standards: ShhorAI's development is grounded in ethical AI practices, ensuring that its deployment respects and promotes human rights norms.
- Enhancing Digital Equity: By focusing on ethical principles, ShhorAI contributes to creating a more equitable digital space, ensuring that AI technologies benefit all users, particularly those from vulnerable groups.

Expected Outcomes of the Session:

- Policy Development: The session will provide valuable insights into developing robust policy frameworks that leverage AI to enhance security while upholding trust and privacy.
- Stakeholder Collaboration: It will facilitate a cross-sectoral collaborative environment where stakeholders from various sectors can discuss and devise practical implementation of ShhorAI for enhancing digital trust and safety.
- Community Empowerment: The discussion will empower local communities and decision-makers to take proactive steps in shaping their digital landscapes, ensuring that innovations like ShhorAI drive positive change.
Methodology / Agenda (Please add rows by clicking "+" on the right)
Time frame (e.g. 5 minutes, 20 minutes, should add up to 60 minutes) Description
3 minutes Introduction
12 minutes Discussion and Demo
4 minutes Audience Q&A
1 minutes Closing Remarks
Moderators & Speakers Info (Please complete where possible)
  • Moderator (Primary)

    • Name: Aindriya Barua
    • Organization: ShhorAI
    • Designation: Founder CEO
    • Gender: Non Binary
    • Economy / Country of Residence: India
    • Stakeholder Group: Technical Community
    • Expected Presence: Online
    • Status of Confirmation: Confirmed
    • Link of Bio (URL only): https://www.shhorai.com/ ; https://www.linkedin.com/in/aindriya-barua/
Please explain the rationale for choosing each of the above contributors to the session.
Aindriya Barua is a queer indigenous neurodivergent AI Engineer, artist, and activist from a remote village in the smallest northeast state of Tripura, India. ShhorAI represents the culmination of their passion for social justice, art and technological innovation. To justify Aindriya's inclusion in sessions focused on technological innovations and social justice, consider these consolidated points:

- AI and NLP Expertise: Aindriya specializes in AI and natural language processing, particularly in Indic languages and their code-mixed forms like Hinglish. Their expertise is crucial for addressing the technical challenges and gaps in resources for underrepresented languages in global AI development.
- Dataset Creation: Aindriya led the creation of a novel 45k dataset through for detecting hate speech in Hinglish, filling a significant void in NLP resources. This work is foundational for discussions on data science and AI ethics, especially in languages lacking substantial computational resources.
- Activism Through Technology: Utilizing AI to enhance digital safety and combat online hate, Aindriya’s efforts reflect their commitment to social justice, driven by their first-hand personal experiences of online hate and doxxing as a political artist and activist with an intersectional marginalized identity. They offer a valuable perspective on how technology can serve as a tool for activism and human rights.
- Recognition and Impact: Internationally recognized, including by the UN-FPA, Aindriya's work has demonstrated significant impact and relevance, adding credibility and highlighting the importance of their contributions to both technology and social advocacy.
- Art and Advocacy: By merging art with technology advocacy, Aindriya engages broader audiences, making complex AI topics accessible and stimulating public interest and discourse on digital rights and AI education.
- Community Engagement: Their project’s collaborative approach with diverse volunteers underscores the importance of community-driven solutions in technology, vital for discussions on participatory design and democratizing AI.
- Personal Experience with Online Hate: Driven by personal experiences with online hate, Aindriya’s work is deeply connected to creating effective real-world solutions, underscoring the need for technologies that protect digital spaces.
- Marginalized Perspective: As a member of several marginalized groups, Aindriya brings vital insights on inclusivity and the specific challenges faced by marginalized communities in tech development.

Aindriya Barua's inclusion ensures a comprehensive discussion that blends technical acumen with a strong foundation in social issues, driven by personal experience and a commitment to inclusivity and justice. This unique combination enriches the dialogue, making it more relevant and impactful.
If you need assistance to find a suitable speaker to contribute to your session, or an onsite facilitator for your online-only session, please specify your request with details of what you are looking for.
For our online-only session, we kindly request an onsite facilitator to ensure smooth coordination and engagement. Their role will be to manage time, facilitate discussions, and address any technical issues that may arise during the session.
Please declare if you have any potential conflict of interest with the Program Committee 2024.
No
Are you or other session contributors planning to apply for the APrIGF Fellowship Program 2024?
Yes
Number of Attendees (Please fill in numbers)
    Gender Balance in Moderators/Speakers (Please fill in numbers)
      Consent
      I agree that my data can be submitted to forms.for.asia and processed by APrIGF organizers for the program selection of APrIGF 2024.