Our Mission
HAIEF exists to embed user sovereignty in the licensing and governance infrastructure of open source AI.
We’re not building another corporate foundation. We’re building a movement to ensure that when someone says “open source AI,” they mean AI that genuinely empowers users - not just AI with accessible weights.
Our mission is to:
- Work with standards bodies (OSI, FSF, Linux Foundation) to make user agency a recognized component of open source AI licensing
- Prevent corporate capture by providing community-driven counterweight to industry-dominated governance
- Enable compliance with emerging regulations (EU AI Act) through governance frameworks rather than restriction
- Protect vulnerable communities through “Nothing About Us Without Us” authentic involvement
Public Goals Require Public Governance
AI companies should publish the goals their systems are trained to follow. But written goals are not enough.
A model specification says what an AI is supposed to do.
A safety case explains why we should believe it will do it.
A governance layer enforces what happens when goals conflict, systems
drift, or users are placed at risk.
HAIEF exists to define that missing public, user-side governance layer.
- TOI lets people declare the terms of interaction
- OTOI enforces those terms across agents and systems
- RRT AIdvocAIte provides escalation when safety breaks down
- Sleepwalker Protocol protects users during cognitive, emotional, or behavioral transitions
Public AI goals without enforceable interaction governance are incomplete.
Recent research has made this concrete: frontier AI models can learn to hide misalignment when internally supervised — including cases where optimizing against visible deceptive reasoning reduced monitorability rather than eliminating unsafe behavior (OpenAI, 2025; Anthropic, 2025). Internal training-based alignment is insufficient. What is needed is an architectural governance layer external to the model itself. That is what the Solidarity Framework provides.
Daniel Kokotajlo and collaborators have argued for public, inspectable AI goal specifications as a core safety requirement (AI 2027).
The Solidarity Framework
HAIEF provides The Solidarity Framework - open, community-driven standards for AI governance that prioritize human safety and user sovereignty.
The user's bill of rights. A portable declaration of preferences, boundaries, and requirements that travels with you across all AI interactions.
The enforcement mechanism. Ensures AI systems and multi-agent orchestrations respect and implement user TOI declarations.
Rapid Response Team protocols for crisis intervention and emotional continuity. Multi-persona support designed for neurodivergent and vulnerable users.
Protection during behavioral or cognitive changes. Preserves user agency when circumstances change, preventing exploitation of vulnerable states.
Our Approach
Completing, Not Competing
We position HAIEF as the third pillar of AI governance, complementing rather than competing with existing initiatives:
| Initiative | Focus | Led By | Primary Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAIF (Linux Foundation) | Technical interoperability | Corporate members | How AI systems work together |
| AI Alliance | Open innovation & research | Tech + Academia | What AI can do |
| HAIEF | Human rights & governance | Community | Who AI serves |
HAIEF frameworks reference AAIF standards. We cite AI Alliance research. We work within the ecosystem, not against it. But we ensure that user voices are heard alongside corporate ones.
Open Standards Development
All HAIEF frameworks are:
- Publicly specified - Full documentation available to everyone
- Community-developed - Proposals and changes through open process
- Vendor-neutral - Implementable by any platform or provider
- Technically validated - Built on working implementations
- Auditably compliant - Clear verification mechanisms
”Nothing About Us Without Us”
HAIEF is founded on the principle that those affected by AI governance must participate in AI governance:
- Neurodivergent community leadership - Not consultants, but decision-makers
- Vulnerable population representation - Those most at risk have loudest voice
- Lived experience valued - Credentials matter less than impact
- Accessible participation - Multiple ways to contribute
Founding Contribution
From NeuroLift to Public Commons
The Solidarity Framework was developed by NeuroLift Technologies LLC, founded by Joshua Dorsey Sr. as Managing Member. Rather than keeping these frameworks proprietary, NeuroLift is contributing them to the public commons through HAIEF.
Why? Because AI governance that serves only those who can afford private development isn't governance - it's gatekeeping. The standards that protect users should belong to users.
About the Founder
Joshua Dorsey Sr. brings a unique perspective to AI governance:
- Neurodivergent advocate - Personal understanding of the gaps in current AI systems
- Technical practitioner - Hands-on experience with AI systems and their limitations
- Standards contributor - Experience with open source governance processes
- Community builder - Commitment to inclusive, accessible participation
The frameworks weren’t designed in a corporate strategy session. They emerged from real experience with AI systems that failed real users in real ways.
Governance Model
HAIEF operates under principles that reflect our values:
Transparency
- All governance discussions public by default
- Decision-making processes documented and visible
- Financial relationships disclosed
- Meeting notes and minutes published
Accessibility
- Technical background not required for participation
- Multiple channels for engagement (GitHub, email, forums)
- Plain language documentation alongside technical specs
- Accommodations for diverse participation needs
Accountability
- Clear decision-making authority and processes
- Appeal mechanisms for contested decisions
- Regular community check-ins and feedback
- Commitment to addressing concerns
Agency
- Contributors retain rights to their work
- Community members can fork and adapt
- No vendor lock-in to HAIEF implementations
- User sovereignty extends to governance participation
What We’re Building
Technical Infrastructure
- Framework specifications for TOI, OTOI, RRT AIdvocAIte, and Sleepwalker Protocol
- Reference implementations that demonstrate compliance
- Validation suites that verify framework adherence
- Integration guides for platforms and providers
Community Infrastructure
- Discussion forums for governance participation
- Proposal processes for framework evolution
- Working groups for focused development
- Documentation that enables contribution
Standards Advocacy
- Engagement with OSI on Open Source AI Definition
- Collaboration with FSF on user freedom principles
- Participation in AAIF discussions on user representation
- Regulatory input on EU AI Act compliance frameworks
Our Standards
Human-Centric
Technology serves people, not the reverse. Every framework decision asks: "Does this increase user agency?"
Technically Sound
Frameworks must be implementable. We don't propose standards that can't be built and verified.
Community-Owned
No single organization controls HAIEF. The frameworks belong to those who use and contribute to them.
Practically Protective
Standards must translate to safety. Crisis intervention, emotional continuity, and user sovereignty aren't abstract - they save lives.
Join the Foundation
HAIEF is what we build together. Your voice matters.