Free Machine was a non-profit organization that developed creative programs to shape a high-tech future that is equitable, abundant, and sustainable.
We were an LA-based collective of artists, designers, urban planners, and policy wonks aiming to reshape the dominant narratives around technology, the public domain, and civic engagement using the tools of art and culture.
We created experiences that engaged and challenged the public to collectively imagine possible futures where the fruits of emergent technologies are democratically owned. Our work was designed to generate the imaginative and emotional energy necessary to power institutional and policy change toward democratic oversight and ownership of technology.
The relationship between policy and creative practice was paramount to Free Machine's approach: storytelling drives culture, and culture drives policy. Our work lived at this exciting nexus of tech, policy, and culture with the goal of unleashing an abundant, sustainable future for all.
Artificial intelligence and other emergent technologies are already beginning to change how humans live, interact, and thrive. These technologies will reshape society in our lifetimes and generate vast amounts of wealth. Who will enjoy the privileges of this new era of machine-produced abundance? Whoever owns the machines.
Our goal was to orient society toward ensuring that this next generation of machines benefits everyone — not just an elite few.
What values do we embrace as a society? How do we collectively create a future based upon them, particularly in light of the uncertainties around automation and climate change? How do we become empowered to do so? What types of policies will facilitate these visions and goals?
These are big questions, but Free Machine believed we each have a crucial role to play in answering them.
How might we create space to envision a future that is based in democratic values?
How might we empower individuals and communities to envision themselves playing a crucial role in creating this future?
How do we become empowered to shape the policies that will facilitate the visions and goals we share?