TLDR:
- Social technology needs to prioritize respect, belonging, and cooperation.
- Current funding models hinder the development of prosocial technology.
As our world becomes more complex, the need for social technology that promotes respectful interaction, belonging, and cooperation becomes increasingly apparent. However, many popular social platforms today prioritize engagement, surveillance, and attention monetization, leading to unhealthy outcomes for individuals and societies. Technologists seeking alternative approaches are often constrained by traditional venture capital models that prioritize fast growth and large exits within a limited time frame.
The workshop held at the Internet Archive in San Francisco aimed to explore alternatives to traditional venture capital for projects focused on positive social impact and public good. Key themes discussed included alternative funding sources such as government programs, customer subscriptions, equity crowdfunding, and retroactive funding. Additionally, evaluation criteria emphasizing long-term impact, community engagement, and founder understanding of the problem were considered, along with rethinking incentives for fund managers beyond high returns.
Potential new approaches highlighted in the workshop included treating socially beneficial technologies as public utilities, retroactive funding based on impact, and models like quadratic funding to align incentives with community interests. The emphasis was on challenging Silicon Valley norms and advocating for more pluralistic, decentralized, and community-driven funding approaches for prosocial technologies.
In the future, the focus will be on developing resources to support capital suppliers interested in exploring new funding approaches for prosocial tech. The changing landscape of technology and funding, alongside the recognition of limited resources, may lead to experiments in collaborative and ecological economies. Ultimately, the way technology is funded and built may be just as critical as the technology itself in shaping our future.
