2023 --> 2024

Hi All,

I apologise for the lack of list engagement, its been a difficult time...

 2023 has been a big year in the realms of 'digital transformation' ICT /
SDGs related policy works.  Throughout the year, there's been a significant
amount of activity going on in association to the United Nations and
related forum, including the IGF where, i felt, some of the underlying
reasons for my effort to instigate the creation of this CG, were seemingly
progressed as considerations relating to Human Rights, became more clearly
enunciated, at least as far as i am concerned; which was indeed
encouraging...

Attempts were made to create a Human Centric AI SIG via Internet Society,
that was hoped to provide a means for funding the works of otherwise unpaid
persons, struggling to survive whilst seeking to define humanitarian ICT
solutions, such as is a constituency of the purposes of w3c works..
Somewhat sadly, but also positively, there was a competitive alternative
provided to establish an ISOC AI SIG, which appears to be led by india.
Indian reports suggest a very high level of support for Human Centric AI.
Furthermore, the issues pertaining to support for natural languages (mother
tongue languages, etc.) is likely to be greatly supported and supportive,
of persons in india and broadly otherwise asia, as well as other parts of
the world.

One of my efforts, has been to seek to create 'values credentials', which
was considered to be a way to use credentials to support social web
applications by better enabling means to use instruments, such as the human
rights instruments, for agreements between one another.

I have not managed to follow-up more about this; as there are various
requirements, including the means to figure out how to reflect the values
embodied by these remarkable instruments, but then figure out how to make
use of them in a way that supports our agreements between one-another;
rather than, the expectations put upon the 'state' parties, as to act in
our interests...

More recently, i've been working on updating these earlier considerations;
to more simply seek to put forward to the group a proposal for an agreement
method, whereby people are able to negotiate terms of agreements between
one-another; which is different to, being issued an agreement they must
accept; or loose access to their 'addressbook' or other important online
services pertaining to the extension of self and personhood of individual
persons, which can thereby also be extended to support other use-cases not
involving natural persons between one-another directly and in their own
personal capacities...

Related to these considerations, ,have also been some thoughts about the
importance of humanitarian ICT infrastructure, as may be distinct to other
forms of infrastructure; for the purposes of international humnaitarian
law, circumstances involving conflict, etc...

put simply; if our 'digital identity' to protect 'refugees' (for instance),
or the critical tools we need to provide medicine or basic humanitarian
services; can all be shut-down due to the internet being shut-down, or
because of a platform being considered a potential weapon and thereby
shut-down; then, what is needed to forge peace infrastructure...  This then
led me to think about the history of how the tooling produced, has been
produced, and that perhaps what could help, as to improve our ability to
develop humanitarian ICT solutions to better support our ability to develop
tooling to support personal ontology, etc...

is some sort of 'peace infrsatructure projeccts' 'peace industries',
perhaps in future supported by 'departments of peace' (as distinct to
'defence'); and in-turn, a measn to distinguish humanitarian ICT workers
from others...  as such, i've been working on some documents, in-part to
help me with my thinking in relation to these ideas;

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Az3KjrSqUfjMQUo5oGD5o3fgN-V_TVOw

Which is in-turn hoped, to support improvements to the foundations for our
means to produce good W3C Human Centric AI derivatives, as one of the many
functional processes thought important.

Otherwise,

The announcement / discussion about a 'human centric internet', which i
in-turn relate to works on a 'sustainable intelligent internet' is a most
interesting development.

There has been some progress being made in the W3C CogAI CG which is
encouraging and considered complimentary; and,

I was thinking about how we might define some sort of  Large Learning Model
("llm") interoperability spec; as major platforms are continuing to
develop, but the means to support some sort of interoperability and/or
portability, seems like somethig that might be worth investigating.

Other than these considerations; there has been a bit more going on, and i
hope to follow-up about that soon.

Human Centric AI CG - Governance...

I instigated the creation of this group, at a time where following
involvement in WSIS & UN GDC meetings, i was concerned about the 'status of
development' and felt that there were important issues to addresss.  I
still do.  But i haven't found funding, and live poorly.  I believe these
works require more resources than i am able to muster; and i had hoped that
this problem may have been made addressible via ISOC (a SIG); but that
hasn't worked out in the way i had hoped, notwithstanding the possibility
or probability that the choices made via the ISOC community, is potentially
going to lead to better outcomes more broadly, in anycase...

i have not been able to provide the development of these activities the
resources, that i had hoped could be brought about; and whilst maybe, the
situation develops in 2024, . there is still a need to consider how we can
best develop tooling for Human Centric AI (agents) and how any such works
could be better curated.

Please let me know if there is interest in establishing a zoom; and if so,
then i'd welcome contributions to an agenda about things to discuss; i
would also, welcome feedback and contributions by other group members to
the list, about human centric ai related works that others have been
involved in doing also...

There has not yet been a formal vote for a chairperson.   It would be good
to address this, and i welcome any candidates who would like to be
considered for the role...

Finally,

There are an array of 'safety protocol' usecases, that involve issues,
human issues...  that i would like to figure out how to process, so that
the derivatives can then in-turn, be engendered into the 'usecase' material
requirements (issues to address) that are needed to create safe, human
rights supporting; human centric AI systems, ecosystems, agents and
protocols....  The social web, as was earlier known as web 3.0 until the
term web 3.0 was redefined over recent years;  the social web, where people
are allowed to have relationships with one-another directly, without
intermediatories; whilst supporting the means for natural persons to retain
the right to retain evidence of themselves, their lives, their experiences;
as this 'digital transformation' process marches forward..

I am finding it difficult to identify how to better do these works or
improve the resources / circumstances, through which they can be done.
there's alot of work to commodify our thoughtware; but, so little, to
better - materially support - the 'digital transformation' of our human
rights, at least presently; and, from my observations / in my opinion,
etc...

I think i first got involved in w3c works around 2012/3, noting that i
found Henry Story due to his works on WebID...  then, after sometime,
ended-up participating in the lists; something, that i didn't previously
consider everr getting involved in...  but through that, the work on Web
Payments, leading to credentials; and in-turn also, RWW as a critical part,
leading to solid, etc..   the efforts, or moreover intents & purposes; of
those who were first involved, whilst sleeping on couches world-wide, or
experiencing problems where their young families may all be out on the
street, in the snow...  the people, doing this work for purpsoes - for the
betterment of humnaity...  there's alot about that, i haven't seen
delivered..

but there's also alot that has been delivered..

the future is influenced, alot, by resource investments;  whether that be
things like 'robodebt' here in Austrtalia (or robodebt compatibility); or,
whatever it is...  has an impact...

Certainly, 2023 has been a big year.

So,

I wish you all a happy and safe festive season; and,

i hope we'll be able to make more (and far better) progress in 2024,
towards a future that can better support a medicinal earth, for our mental
wealth, as we seek to use our ICT capabilities to successfully deliver SDGs
via Peace Infrastructure projects globally; that, is all about the
importance of what people do...  If the infrastructure is to support human
rights and cyber-security requirements, then i believe we require 'reality
check tech', which means people need to be defined by far more than simply
an identifier.

I thankyou for your participation in this group, and again, welcome your
contributions, suggestions and involvement as is thought essential, if we
are in-fact going to make progress in building better tools as required, to
improve the capacity of all members of our human family to build the world
we want.

Best Wishes,

Timothy Holborn.