Indigenous Protocols for Artificial Intelligence (IP//AI)​ Workshop #3

27 June, QUT Kelvin Grove, ISEA2024 Everywhen

This participatory workshop will share the histories of AI and its development into contemporary practices. Through two-way learning, we will explore data, algorithms, models, and the concepts and methodologies of programming rules, protocols, training, and learning methods within Machine Learning.

Concurrently, we will interrogate the cultural affordances and capacity of ML by investigating the differences between Indigenous automated systems and current ML to further engineering possibilities through cultural practice.

Workshop participants will benefit from this conceptually technical and culturally focused explorative learning, centered on caring for Country and kin within artificially intelligent (AI) systems.

Workshop presenters/authors:
Devised and led by Prof Angie Abdilla Old Ways, New in collaboration with Dr Gabriela Ferraro and Dr Safiya Okai-Ugbaje from ANU School of Cybernetics in partnership with ANAT.

Background
ANAT in partnership with School of Cybernetics is honoured to support Old Ways, New in amplifying the work of artists and researchers in the development of Out of the Black Box: Indigenous Protocols for AI, published in 2021. This groundbreaking paper shared the journey starting with an international group of Indigenous technologists at the inaugural workshop series in Hawaii in 2019, leading to the IP//AI Incubator supported by ANAT, 2021.

The partnership continues in Meanjin, during ISEA2024 Everywhen, with a third curated workshop based on the cumulative body of research and engagement over the past seven years.

The project partners gratefully acknowledge the support of QUT

Professor Angie Abdilla is the founder and director of Old Ways, New. In her various roles as a strategic designer, creative practitioner, and consultant, Angie advocates for Indigenous peoples, knowledges, and knowledge systems as foundational to technology automation through design and cultural practice. Her published research interrogates the praxis of Indigenous deeptime technologies and Artificial Intelligence, which continue to be informed by the Indigenous Protocols and AI working group (IP//AI), which she co-founded. As a creative practitioner, she works across film and video installation as an exhibiting artist. She created the company’s strategic design methodology, Country Centered Design, leading projects for the public and private sectors over the past decade. Angie continues to advise on the cultural and ethical affordances of automated systems and technologies internationally and locally.

Dr Safiya Okai-Ugbaje is an information systems researcher and lecturer at the School of Cybernetics, teaching and facilitating the Building Cyber-Physical Systems course. As an information systems researcher, her interest lies in bridging the digital divide in the access and use of technology, where she is mostly interested in theory building and aligning theory with practice in ways that provide practical and sustainable solutions to contextual problems. Safiya holds a Bachelor of Technology in Mathematics and Computer Science and a Master of Science in IT Management with Distinction. During her PhD, Safiya worked with various stakeholder groups, including senior management and academics to facilitate the delivery of innovative and suitable educational solutions in higher education. The project succeeded in demonstrating how local opportunities may be effectively utilised to facilitate technology-enhanced learning and teaching even where resources are limited. Safiya has over six years of teaching experience in higher education.

Dr Gabriela Ferraro is a Research Fellow at the School of Cybernetics and a researcher in the field Natural Language Processing and Computational Linguistics. At the School of Cybernetics, Gabriela is a member of the teaching team, course convenor and facilitator. She holds a PhD in computer science and a Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics. As a recognition for her career, she was distinguished with the Woman in Science Career Award from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization. In the last 20 years, Gabriela has worked in research centres and universities and participated in projects related to language technologies and machine learning for text processing. She has more than 10 years of teaching experience in higher education programs in the area of Human Language Technology. Gabriela has collaborated in multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary teams throughout her career, generating impactful technology solutions for various societal challenges.