For the first time in over twenty years, the number of autocratic regimes has surpassed that of democratic nations, standing at 91 versus 88, according to the V-Dem Institute’s Democracy Report 2025. Today, 72% of the global population lives under authoritarian rule, with 45 countries showing active signs of shifting toward autocracy.
Meanwhile, artificial intelligence is increasingly being exploited to manipulate information, monitor activists, and prioritize engagement on digital platforms over factual accuracy.
$500,000 AI Funding Opportunity
In response, Democracy x AI is launching a new incubator to support technologists developing AI tools that safeguard and enhance democratic practices worldwide.
Through its Incubator program, Mozilla plans to fund 10 projects with $50,000 each for 12 months of intensive support. Top-performing initiatives may be invited to a Tier II round for an additional $250,000 in follow-on funding.
Mozilla is looking for projects in three focus areas:
- Improving Information Integrity – Tools for collective verification, civic summaries based on trustworthiness, algorithmic transparency, privacy-protecting identity verification, and consensus-building platforms.
- Enhancing Institutional Transparency – Systems to increase government openness, public data infrastructures, mechanisms linking government decisions to community outcomes, and participatory decision-making tools.
- Protecting and Expanding Civic Space – Privacy-respecting coordination tools for activists, anti-surveillance infrastructure, technologies countering propaganda and authoritarian information control, and civic education for marginalized groups.
Applicants must have a working technology with proven traction, a dedicated team able to execute over 12 months, and a commitment to openness — either through open-source code or a clear plan to open-source parts of the project during the grant period.
Apply by March 16, 2025. HERE
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