Columbia SIPA’s Institute of Global Politics Launches Major Open-Source AI Safety Initiative
NEW YORK — The School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University announced that ROOST (Robust Open Online Safety Tools), a groundbreaking new technology initiative incubated at SIPA’s Institute of Global Politics (IGP), officially launched last week at the AI Action Summit in Paris. With over $28 million in initial funding from leading philanthropies and technology companies, ROOST will develop and distribute free, open-source safety tools to accelerate innovation and increase transparency in AI safety to ensure the development of AI in the public interest.
Camille François, an associate professor of practice at SIPA and IGP affiliated faculty, will serve as ROOST's founding president. She says the initiative addresses a critical gap in digital safety infrastructure. “By making robust safety tools accessible through open source, we’re creating a more pluralistic and secure digital future in the age of AI,” said François. “ROOST represents a paradigm shift in how we approach safety tooling, moving from centralized solutions to open, collaborative frameworks that can scale across a global digital ecosystem.”
Francois co-leads the technology initiative at IGP with Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and professor of professional practice at SIPA, who emphasized ROOST’s importance for global democracy: “Digital independence is essential for democracy to thrive. ROOST gives news organizations and community platforms the tools they need to build their own spaces, rather than relying on existing social media giants. This is how we preserve the diversity of voices that democracies need to function.”
The initiative will focus on several critical areas, including the dissemination of tools to detect and remove child sexual abuse material (CSAM), leveraging large language models for content safeguards, and developing core safety infrastructure accessible to organizations of all sizes. “Starting with a platform focused on child protection, ROOST’s collaborative, open-source approach will foster innovation and make essential infrastructure more transparent, accessible, and inclusive, with the goal of creating a safer internet for everyone,” Eric Schmidt, a ROOST founding partner, told reporters.
“SIPA’s mission has always included fostering technological solutions that serve the public good,” said Dean Keren Yarhi-Milo. “ROOST exemplifies how academic institutions can catalyze transformative public interest technology initiatives that bring together diverse stakeholders—from major tech companies to civil society organizations to open-source leaders—to address critical global challenges.”
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, a ROOST founding partner, highlighted the initiative’s role in translating academic research into practical solutions. “The Knight Foundation has made deep investments in research that can both inform and increase our collective understanding of how companies manage content on their platforms,” said Maribel Pérez Wadsworth, the foundation’s president and CEO. “ROOST will help that scholarship find real-world application in cultivating online spaces that better connect us to information, ideas, and each other.”
Launched as a key outcome of the AI Action Summit in Paris, ROOST has garnered support from an extraordinary coalition of founding partners working alongside SIPA, including Discord, OpenAI, Google, Roblox, the McGovern Foundation, AI Collaborative, and the Project Liberty Institute, among others. This diverse group reflects the broad recognition that open-source safety tools are imperative for spurring innovation while ensuring responsible AI development.
ROOST will operate as an independent nonprofit organization, maintaining close collaboration with Columbia University while working to develop critical safety infrastructure for the AI era. The initiative builds on SIPA’s tradition of incubating transformative public interest technology projects that address global policy challenges, while providing unique opportunities for students to engage with cutting-edge technology policy implementation.
Press contact: Lionel Beehner, Senior Editorial Director, [email protected]
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