Data & Society Research Institute

What Data & Society Research Institute does

Data & Society Research Institute is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) research organization founded in 2014 and headquartered in New York, with 11–50 employees. The institute produces empirical, ethnographic, and policy-oriented research on the societal impacts of data-driven technologies, automation, and AI, organized across programs covering labor futures, trustworthy infrastructures (data centers, digital health, AI infrastructure), AI on the ground, and public-interest technology policy. Its primary audiences are federal, state, and local policymakers, academic researchers, journalists, and civil society organizations including labor and community-advocacy groups.

The institute does not develop or sell commercial technology products. Its outputs are freely distributed research artifacts: primers, policy briefs, reports, academic articles, a public Points blog, a podcast network, and events including the Databite series and convenings such as Connective (t)Issues. A notable technical-methodological artifact is the Algorithmic Impact Assessment Toolkit, developed and updated in partnership with the GovAI Coalition as a community-centered framework for evaluating algorithmic systems. In May 2026, Data & Society launched AI Civics, a public education program funded by $2 million from Humanity AI, designed to expand democratic participation in how AI is designed and deployed.

The organization is funded entirely by foundation grants and charitable donations, with disclosed supporters including Humanity AI, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Internet Society Foundation. Data & Society explicitly maintains organizational independence, declining funding that could compromise the autonomy of its research, and licenses its outputs under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International. There is no commercial product, pricing model, or revenue-generating transaction in the traditional sense — financial sustainability rests on continuous foundation fundraising and donor stewardship.

Name

Data & Society Research Institute

Legal name

Data & Society Research Institute

Website

https://datasociety.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Data & Society Research Institute is an independent nonprofit research institute that produces empirical, ethnographic, and policy research on the societal impacts of data-driven technologies and AI for policymakers, academics, journalists, and civil society organizations, funded by foundation grants and charitable donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Foundation grants and charitable donations: As an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) research institute, Data & Society is funded entirely by foundation grants and charitable donations. The organization explicitly states it does not accept funding that would affect its ability to pursue work free of external interference, and fiercely protects the independence of its researchers and fellows.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Data & Society is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) research institute that produces empirical, ethnographic, and policy research on the societal impacts of data-driven technologies, AI, automation, and digital infrastructure. It delivers this work through freely distributed reports, policy briefs, primers, an Algorithmic Impact Assessment Toolkit, a public education program (AI Civics), podcasts, and convenings, all released under Creative Commons licenses and supported by foundation grants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Algorithmic Impact Assessment Toolkit A community-centered algorithmic impact assessment toolkit created in partnership with the GovAI Coalition, designed to help communities evaluate the impacts of algorithmic systems on the public.
• AI Civics A public education program to extend and strengthen channels for the public to have a voice in how AI is designed and deployed across society.
• Data & Society Library (Research Publications) A comprehensive, open-access repository of policy briefs, primers, reports, explainers, and academic articles produced by Data & Society researchers on AI, labor, data centers, and digital infrastructure.
• Points Blog A public blog featuring essays, research updates, and commentary from Data & Society scholars on technology, data, and society topics.
• Data & Society Podcasts Audio content including interviews and discussions on technology and society topics, distributed through the Data & Society podcast network at listen.datasociety.net.
• Public Events and Workshops Public panels, workshops, Databite events, and conferences that convene researchers, practitioners, and communities to discuss technology and societal impacts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40 organizations joined a coalition letter to Congress on worker-centered AI legislation, led in part by Data & Society affiliates.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered significant and core.

• European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL)significantStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 November 2021Data & Society and the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law co-published two policy papers with recommendations around human rights and algorithmic impact assessments—one providing recommendations to the Council of Europe's Ad Hoc Committee on AI (CAHAI) and another focused on the EU AI Act.
• GovAI CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerData & Society created and updated its community-centered Algorithmic Impact Assessment Toolkit in partnership with GovAI Coalition. The toolkit is described as a core public resource for algorithmic accountability.
• Duke Science & SocietysignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Connective (t)Issues workshop was organized by Data & Society's Trustworthy Infrastructures program in partnership with Duke Science & Society, bringing together scholars, practitioners, artists, and activists to explore stories of digital infrastructures and community resistance.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AI Now Institute: AI Now Institute is a nonprofit research institute focused on the social implications of AI, with parallel research programs on labor, algorithmic accountability, and AI governance. It is the closest direct peer to Data & Society in mission, methodology, and target audiences.
• Mozilla Foundation: Mozilla Foundation funds and conducts research and advocacy on trustworthy AI, data privacy, and internet health, with similar funder base (foundation grants) and target audiences (policymakers, civil society). It overlaps with Data & Society in AI accountability and internet governance work.
• Center for Democracy & Technology: CDT is a nonprofit that works on digital rights, AI governance, and technology policy through research, advocacy, and litigation. It is a peer in producing policy research that influences regulation on AI, data, and platform governance.
• GovAI: GovAI is a research organization focused on AI governance and policy, working on topics including AI risk, regulation, and democratic implications. It is a direct peer to Data & Society's AI governance and policy work, and a known partner via the GovAI Coalition.
• Electronic Frontier Foundation: EFF is a nonprofit civil liberties organization focused on technology, privacy, and digital rights. It overlaps with Data & Society on data governance, AI accountability, and digital infrastructure issues.

Broad incumbents

• Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI): Stanford HAI is a well-funded, university-based AI research institute that produces policy research, reports, and convenings on AI's societal impacts. While broader in scope and far more heavily resourced, it competes for policy influence and academic attention in the same AI governance space.
• New America: New America is a think tank with technology policy programs covering AI, labor, and digital rights. It serves overlapping audiences and produces similar policy outputs, though it is broader in scope and more established institutionally.
• Brookings Institution: Brookings is a major policy think tank with active research programs on AI governance, technology policy, and the future of work. It is a broad incumbent that competes for policymaker attention in overlapping AI and labor policy domains.
• Harvard Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society: The Berkman Klein Center is an academic research center studying the internet, AI, and society, with overlapping themes on AI governance, platform accountability, and digital rights.
• Aspen Institute: Aspen Institute is a think tank that produces research and convenings on technology policy, including AI, digital equity, and the future of work, with overlapping audience of policymakers and civil society leaders.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/datasociety
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMBHW1nUr5AoUW1zScTqGew/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/data-&-society-research-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/dataandsociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/dataandsociety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Data & Society Research Institute