LF AI & Data will not make political statements, support political causes, or take other actions of a political nature except when doing so is directly related to LF AI & Data’s mission.
Why won’t LF AI & Data take a political stand? Why did LF AI & Data adopt this policy?
LFAI & Data believes that the best use of our time and energy is to focus on enabling our global community to build responsible AI and data-driven technology open source software.
There are 3 primary reasons we do not make political statements
1. Statements about political causes are outside the scope of LFAI & Data's mission. Our mission is to advance the responsible development and use of AI and data-driven technologies, and we do so by supporting open source communities and ecosystems that deliver great software and open up technology access around the world.
2. Our community is a global one, and one that has a diverse range of political opinions and perspectives. There is no single political viewpoint that represents the entire LFAI & Data community, and therefore it is not possible (nor is it our place) to adopt a position that is representative of the entirety of our globally diverse community.
3. And finally, when political topics unrelated to technology have arisen within open source communities, they have often resulted in fierce disagreements and in some cases antagonistic behavior, disrupting community technical efforts and distracting the community from focusing on its core mission. This can be a drain on resources, energy, and time for both staff and community governance bodies and committees, and can negatively impact morale for the community.
How does this policy apply to regulatory matters?
The Linux Foundation may take a position on proposed laws and regulations, but only to the extent those laws and regulations directly impact technology, Linux Foundation projects, and the ecosystems supported by those projects. . If the Linux Foundation takes a position on proposed laws or regulations that impact AI technology or the responsible AI and data driven technology ecosystem, LF AI & Data will support that position.
With regard to applicable laws and regulations that are already enacted, complying with applicable laws and regulations is not a political statement. Applicable laws and regulations may include restrictions on events due to local laws or engagement with entities that are subject to sanctions. Furthermore, the policy does not affect LFAI & Data projects' ability to make their own technical decisions, including decisions related to encryption, whether or not such decisions are mandated by applicable laws and regulations.
Does LFAI & Data consider diversity & inclusion to be "political"?
Ensuring that LFAI & Data projects and community spaces are welcoming and inclusive to all participants regardless of age, race, ethnicity, national origin, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, or any other dimension of diversity is aligned with LFAI & Data values and directly supports our chartered mission and activities. This is consistent with our responsibility to produce world-class events that bring people together to collaborate on technology.
Similarly, supporting the health and growth of the responsible AI and data-driven technology ecosystem is directly related to our mission. Thus, we may collaborate with other organizations on initiatives designed to educate and engage all of humanity in the technology sector. Programs that help people from diverse backgrounds learn about responsible AI and data-driven technology and advance their careers in these fields contribute directly to the long-term growth and health of our ecosystem.
It's simply not our place to take a stand on legislation, policies, or political issues even when related to diversity, equity & inclusion in contexts that do not relate to technology, the responsible AI and data-driven technology ecosystem, or the LFAI & Data community.