Cool/Scary AI Sh!t - DC 2025

Benjamin Childers

Free, community-led forum on AI’s promises and risks for social impact—lightning talks, small-group dialogues, and actionable next steps.

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

Cool/Scary AI Sh*t isn’t a celebration of artificial intelligence—it’s a clear-eyed look at how AI is already reshaping mission-driven work, for better and worse. This half-day gathering brings together nonprofit leaders, digital practitioners, and creative technologists to explore the real-world implications of AI in social impact spaces.Forget the corporate hype. Cool/Scary AI Sh*t is an alternative to the usual conference circuit: an intimate, high-energy space for honest conversations about what’s working, what’s risky, and what’s next. No rigid agenda. No buzzword-laden keynotes. Just a curated lineup of speakers sharing lived experiments, cautionary tales, and breakthrough ideas.You’ll hear from nonprofit teams, social entrepreneurs, and movement technologists applying AI to solve real problems—while wrestling with the ethical, operational, and cultural questions that come with it. Formats include TED-style talks, panel discussions, podcast-style interviews, and fast-paced Pecha Kucha presentations to keep things sharp and grounded.If you’re looking for real talk—not just optimism—about how AI is transforming mission-driven work, this is your space.

Agenda

Digitally Invisible — A New Paradigm

A Pitch for Civic Tech

On Placemaking as a Driver of Digital Inclusion

In Need of a Public Foundation Model

Beyond Alt Text: How AI Can Automate Accessibility Requirements

Developing an AI Use Policy (that folks will actually use)

AI-fueled Continuous Improvement

Vibe Check : Your Next Engineer Is a Prompt

How AI Is Changing Advocacy — and Why It Matters

A Case Study in AI Adaption from Localyst

Closing the Gap Between AI Ambitions and Organizational Readiness

Million Dollar Mistakes: What Happens When AI Meets Grant Funding?

AI Literacy in Action

Closing Remarks

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Cool/Scary AI Sh!t - DC 2025

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Cool/Scary AI Sh!t - DC 2025

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